| Producer | Riverain |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Napa Valley |
| Subregion | Oakville |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 16730 |
| Size | 750ml |
We are very excited about our latest offering, our flagship 2021 Cabernet from the Tench Vineyard in Oakville. We are absolutely thrilled with the quality of this vintage, as a long uneventful growing season allowed for copious hang time and a vin de garde.
It has been a long wait for our newest release of our highly acclaimed Riverain Cabernet. In an effort to preserve our highest quality standards, we made no Cabernet in 2020 so this 2021 vintage is ready to go, and worth the wait! We took some time to taste a few bottles of the 2021 over several days. Our first impression was this reminded us of the 2016vintage, pretty high on the power scale, but with that extra delineation and length we are always looking for. 2021 was a Goldilocks year weather wise. No big heat spikes, no cold spells and a slightly under average size crop. Inky dark color, blackberry, iron, cassis and hints of tilled earth on the nose and in the glass. The mild season provided big velvety tannins that arrive late on the palate and there is plenty of Eastern Oakville acid. The balance and the length are what we like best. Mostly Darnajou, Taransaud and Baron cooperage. For those who can’t wait a few years to enjoy this vintage, we definitely recommend a nice decant for early drinking.
I loved the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard from this estate, which has Thomas Rivers Brown making the wines. Loads of black fruits, iron, block olive, walnut shell, and darker chocolate notes all define the aromatics, and it’s a quintessential expression of the vineyard aromatically. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, with beautiful yet substantial tannins, it’s another flawlessly balanced, structured, impressive wine in the vintage that needs bottle age. Hide these for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
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