Obsidian Ridge Cabernet 2019

Red Hills Lake County, California

Wine Enthusiast 93 points! James Suckling 92 points!

Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon is an estate-grown mountain Cab from Obsidian Ridge Vineyard, planted at 2,640 feet atop the Mayacamas range north of Napa Valley on the ridge separating Alexander Valley and Clear Lake. Red Hills Lake County is one of the newest American Viticultural Areas, named for its defining volcanic soils. The 105-acre Obsidian Ridge Vineyard is named for the obsidian rock that shoots through the red soils of this steep, sloping terroir. It produces wines with great tannic structure. The owner of Obsidian Ridge as well as Molnar Family and Kazmer & Blaise wines is Tricycle Wine Company, whose principals are Arpad and Peter Molnar and Michael Terrien. Their thoughts on winemaking are compelling: "Our winemaking philosophy is to do right by the land, and make wines of place through minimal intervention and through respect for the flavor of the Californian grapes and the Hungarian oak. Our wines speak clearly of their origins." This is a true red wine gem!

“Significantly tannic but also flavorful enough to pull it off, this full-bodied wine is a good candidate for further aging. It brims with black currant, graphite and black cherry flavors that are vivid but not overblown, achieving good balance and complexity. Aged for 18 months in 40% new Hungarian oak barrels, it should be best from 2026.”—Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, 93 points!

Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend from four select blocks from the Obsidian Ridge Vineyard and a small percentage of Petit Verdot and Malbec from a small block at the top of the vineyard. The wine is an elegant, aromatic expression of Cabernet Sauvignon with the dark red color of a mountain Cab. Its bouquet includes spices of bay, clove and anise on a core of cherries, cranberries and red plums. Rich, full-bodied and densely structured, it offers flavors of dark cherries, espresso beans and chocolate. The wine was aged for 16 months in the winery's signature Kadar Hungary oak barrels, 50% new. It will age for 10-15 years but is already hard to resist! The finish is long and alluring.

Enjoy Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon with filet mignon, rack of lamb, venison, moussaka and aged cheeses.