2018 Heart of the Hill

Deep ruby colored with a soft purple edge, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Heart of the Hill bursts from the glass with tones of black cherry, cassis, black raspberry, subtle spice tones, dried herbs and a lifted oak expression. Medium to full-bodied, the wine splashes down on the palate with the classic dusty minerality of Red Mountain, highlighted by red spice and a dusty black-fruited core across the mid-palate. Balanced and structured, the wine lingers with precision as soft spicy and dusty mineral tension continues to unfold with complexity, baking spices, dusty dark fruit and a soft herbaceous note. The long, lingering finish proves that this wine is a serious contender. The wine fermented in concrete and was aged in seasoned oak barrels for 36 to 48 months.

Robert Parkers Wine Advocate: 96+ Points

The 2018 Heart of the Hill is a tightrope walk between power and elegance. The color is characteristically opaque, with a nearly black core that extends to a magenta rim. Brooding as a youth, the aromatics are nonetheless dusky and complex, becoming more pronounced with air: dried herbs, roasted meat, dried cocoa and cracked espresso bean; cassis, fresh blackberry, cedar and graphite.

On the palate, the wine is immediately full-bodied and powerful yet maintains lift and freshness amidst a blanket of fine and seamless tannin. The substantial structure keeps the finish lengthy, with penetrating notes of black cherry, sweet baking spice, fennel and a dusty minerality that screams Red Mountain. The 2018 Heart of the Hill has a long life ahead of it, perhaps 25-30 years, unfurling new dimension as it ages.

We know great wines are made in the vineyard. Vintage after vintage we work with our growers and vineyard managers on the best practices to yield the highest quality grapes we can for that given season. We share common goals, a work ethic and meticulous attention to detail that increases our chances of success substantially. Whether its pruning, thinning, changing the canopy or varying the vine nutrition, we work side by side to get the best results.

Harvest decisions are made by ripeness of fruit, sensory analysis and the weather. From year to year decisions are driven by both flavor and physical maturity. We are looking for the moment where the flavors and balance of the grape hit true phenolic ripeness. Our team did over 6,000 miles to and from the vineyards in Steve’s truck during harvest as we sampled 2-3 times per week to ensure our picking decisions were spot on. From bud break to barrel and finally to bottle our goal is to stay true to our ideologies. Exacting winemaking, cellar and lab practices drive our goals of making the best wine we can.

The art and science of winemaking is a continuous learning adventure. The true balance of winemaking is achieved when science and art collide creating a bottle of wine well worth drinking. That’s what excites us as a team. All of our flagship wines are made from only the best barrels that we painstaking select over several months. Once this is done, we begin the blending process, all double blind, until months later we select each wine that we believe reflects the character and quality of the site and vintage.