2021 Secret Door Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Aromas of blackcurrant, damson plum, and iron integrate with savory notes of dried sage, espresso bean, and a hint of cedar. The palate is full-bodied and exceptionally structural, featuring a dense core of dark fruit and a broad, muscular texture. It displays firm, mountain-grown tannins and a piercing acidity that leads to a long, powerful finish marked by a distinct crushed-rock minerality and a touch of dark chocolate.

Winemaker Donald Patz utilizes 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from this rugged, high-altitude estate. In the cellar, the fruit is fermented in small, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks using native yeasts to preserve the site's intense aromatic profile. The wine matures for twenty-two months in 100% new French oak barrels. This significant oak regimen is used to frame and soften the naturally high tannins of the vineyard, resulting in a wine with massive concentration and the structural integrity built for long-term cellar aging.

The fruit is grown in the Sage Ridge Vineyard, a dramatic site situated high above Lake Hennessey in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. The site is defined by its extreme topography, with steep slopes and elevations reaching up to 1,500 feet. The soils are lean and dominated by fractured chert and sandstone, forcing the vines to struggle and produce tiny, flavor-concentrated berries. These vines are exposed to intense sunlight and constant mountain breezes, a combination that produces a wine with an incredible depth of color and the signature savory, herbal complexity that defines Sage Ridge.