2019 Montecillo Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Above Kenwood on the back side of Mt Veeder, this south-west-facing site is at 1,700 ft, so above the fog line. Planted in 1964 and never had chemical sprays on it. St George rootstock so it survived the 1990s phylloxera. Farmed largely by one Mexican-American family since 1972. Used to be in the Kenwood Artists Label Cabernet blend – a slice of history. ‘A little group of six of us, called by Tegan Passalacqua, saved the vineyard from being pulled out and planted with Zinfandel because the family were getting such a low price from a big producer. All six get eight barrels apiece. Jasud and Arnot-Roberts are two of the six and tend to pick early at 21/22 Brix. We pick at 24.5’, says Andy Smith of DuMOL, who applies a gentle, Pinot-like vinifcation. None was made in 2020. Intense and briary. Minty and old fashioned. Grunty, herbal and earthy. Truly a slice of history! (JR)

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard is the most inward of the three DuMOL Cabernets in this tasting. Black fruit, herbs, menthol, licorice, gravel and incense lend notable intensity to a Cabernet of real thrust. The Montecillo is the sort of Cabernet that needs many years in bottle to drink well. When it does, readers should expect a wine with considerable mineral and savory presence.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard is the most inward of the three DuMOL Cabernets in this tasting. Black fruit, herbs, menthol, licorice, gravel and incense lend notable intensity to a Cabernet of real thrust. The Montecillo is the sort of Cabernet that needs many years in bottle to drink well. When it does, readers should expect a wine with considerable mineral and savory presence.