WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
There were 23 individual picks from the estate's 32 producing acres. The must was cold soaked for four days before warming tanks up for inoculation. Maceration times ranged from 7-21 days, with ferment temperatures peaking at 95°F. The first iteration of the Reserve was blended following the completion of malolactic fermentation in the spring of 2022. Final assemblage took place during the third racking one year later, allowing the wine to harmonize in barrel before final racking and bottling in August. Aged a total of 22 months in 90% new French oak from coopers Taransaud, Darnajou, and Sylvain.
Selection of the 2021 Odette Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon begins with the best vines in our 38-acre Estate Vineyard in the heart of the Stags Leap AVA. These old vines are planted in soils comprised of Boomer and Perkins Gravelly Loam, born from volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods. The vineyard boasts 8 different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 clones of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc, with vines up to 41 years old.
Top notes of spring-fresh Wisteria intertwine with vermillion spice, vanilla, and strokes of graphite on a canvas of ripe blueberry and cassis. Lush blackberry and layered caramel are braced by a youthful tannic structure epitomizing the “iron fist in a velvet glove.” As tannins ebb, notes of cocoa and clove tease rich Luxardo cherry flavors through a long, precise finish. The 2021 Odette Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon delivers immediate pleasure upon release and hints at the reward for collectors patient enough to cellar it over the next 20+ years.
TASTING NOTES:
All Cabernet Sauvignon from a mix of different soils (which is the idea with this release), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve sports a dense purple hue to go with full-bodied, ripe, plush aromas and flavors of blueberries, jammy black raspberries, ground coffee, and more high-toned candied violet and orange blossom nuances. This powerful, concentrated 2021 has plenty of tannins and enough background oak to warrant 4-5 years of bottle age. It should see its 20th birthday in fine form!
- Jeb Dunnuck, 97 pts.
