2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting through Cabernet Sauvignon barrels early in their evolution can be a mouth-puckering challenge.  The tannins at this stage tend to be bold and chewy, often times completely masking the subtle nuance of flavours.  You are comforted in the knowledge that there is ample time for correction, with a full 24-30 months spent in barrel, but it is still a little disconcerting.

I can't imagine having to make blending or culling decisions prior to that timeframe because I've seen so many "late" mouthfeel transformations during the last few months in barrel.  Obviously, the tannic profile of the fruit and the oak strategy employed have a lot to do with those transformations, but it is definitely something I track in the wines made from our older blocks of Cab Sauv.

Enter our new planting of Clone 191 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2021 vintage marked the first fruit we were able to harvest from that 14-row, 2019 planting.  There is a certain first crop mythology that floats about in wine circles that I've always been skeptical of.  It goes that wine made from a first crop can be magical and mature beyond its years, then the field usually goes through some growing pains before finding itself again and establishing consistency.

In early barrel sampling sessions, the Clone 191 wine was noticeably smoother and had more discernable ripe red fruit flavours than the older block Clone 169 wine.  So much so, that I was starting to become a believer in the whole first crop myth.  I wouldn't fully buy in until much later, when I witnessed the emerging dynamic between the two clones in the final blend.  My expectation was that the older block wine would swallow up the new kid and assert its veteran dominance, but a pleasantly harmonious blend arose instead.

Featuring a combination of cherry, wild blackberry, flinty minerality and a subtle floral note; there is also an unforeseen component to the mouthfeel and structure of this Cab that can only be attributed to the new planting.  I will be keen to see how this wine ages.

It's hard for me not to emotionally personify the Old Block as a humble mentor that realizes its days are numbered and the torch must eventually be passed.  Due to increasing rates of grapevine virus infection (red blotch and leafroll virus), winterkill and old age, our beloved original Cabernet Sauvignon blocks will gradually need to be replaced.  It's a bittersweet scenario, but it rekindles my excitement to work with new fruit and a yet to be determined potential.  There are also good feelings associated with sustaining the vineyard for the generations to come.