This is the old Dancing Hares winery we did so well with a couple of years ago. The winemaker is the brilliant Philippe Melka alum Shawn Johnson. And the vineyard source is the famed Bettinelli family estate in Yountville. (Otherwise known as the Sleeping Lady Vineyard – the source of such great Cabernets as Ad Vivum at $200. In fact, all of the 2021 Cabernets designated “Sleeping Lady” sell for $200 to $250…which may be why this isn’t so designated.)
Dunnuck, who prices it at $300, rates it equal to Amulet’s other top 2021 Cabernets…which actually do sell for $195, saying:
The 2021 is terrific, with lots of attractive red and black fruits that turn more mineral-laced with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with building tannins, it's another beautiful wine from this team where the cellar will be your friend. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, and I'd be shocked if it didn't evolve gracefully over the following two decades or more.
The Wine Independent agrees:
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon AE, with 5% each of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with vibrant scents of blueberries, stewed black plums, and blackcurrant pastilles opening out to notes of mint tea and garrigue. The full-bodied palate is plush, juicy, and ready to go, delivering bags of black fruit and savory flavors and a long, lifted finish.
As does the Wine Enthusiast (which quotes the correct price of $85):
Exuberant and mouthwatering, this Cabernet Sauvignon carries flavors of black fruits, tobacco, and spices. The tannins are firm while finely corded and balanced by persistent acidity for a long and flavorful finish.
And the winery says:
Classic Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon in a strong vintage. It’s a graceful wine with an enticing array of earth, herb, and fresh fruit. Aromas of tobacco leaf and black cherry gently fill the glass. The wine expands on the palate with ripe mission fig, tart plum skin and fresh marjoram. A fine silky texture and dark chocolate linger for over a minute.
A truly brilliant Cabernet from the only vineyard in Yountville that can legitimately be said to challenge its neighbor Dominus.
