Mauritson 2016 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

"Sixty-five percent of the vines planted in Rockpile are Zinfandel," says Clay Mauritson. "What's gotten lost in that narrative is how unbelievable Cabernet Sauvignon is in Rockpile. It has a lot of similarities to places like Napa." Deep ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon Rockpile Ridge Vineyard is blended of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in French oak. It has a nose with red and black cherries and currants, milk chocolate, star anise, cardamom, cedar and touches of minerals and beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, it's very plush and spicy in the mouth with tons of baby fat fruit, segueing to mineral and licorice notions. It has a firm frame of chalky tannins and good freshness to lift the long, layered finish. Leave this in the cellar for another three to five years and drink it over the next 20+.

Score: 94 points -- Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate, 2019