2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain comes across as quite ethereal and delicate, especially for a mountain wine. Sweet floral notes meld into spices, dark blue/black fruit, cinnamon and new leather. Here the flavors are gentle and suave, but at the same time, there is plenty of energy in the glass. With time in the decanter, the 2011 can be enjoyed today, but it also has enough stuffing to drink well for a number of years. At the same time, the higher-toned aromatics, suggest the 2011 will always remain a relatively feminine Cabernet Sauvignon.

Even better is the wonderfully perfumed 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain. Abundant aromas of black raspberries, blueberry liqueur, forest floor and violets are followed by a wine of great intensity, full-bodied richness and a layered, multidimensional personality with sweet tannin as well as low acidity. This beautiful, savory, full-throttle effort should drink well for 15 years. Lokoya has long been one of the bright shining stars in the Kendall-Jackson Small Estates portfolio. The fact that all four of their 2011 Cabernets were among the best wines I tasted in this vintage reflects many things, among them, (1) the exceptional commitment to quality, (2) the brilliance of the vineyards and winemaker Christopher Carpenter, (3) these mountain vineyards were less affected by the challenging weather conditions of rain and fog in early and mid-October, and (4) the winemaking team had the patience to wait for perfect ripeness before harvesting these limited production cuvees. The production is even smaller than usual in 2011, ranging from 200 cases for the Diamond Mountain and Spring Mountain, 260 cases for the Howell Mountain and 840 cases for the prodigious Mt. Veeder. Tel. (707) 948-1968