A crazy crazy shade of purple. A blisteringly fluorescent other-worldy shade of blue purple. Dense with no clear edge. Big vegetal nose, the stemmiest concoction you have had since Sonoma Coast discovered stem inclusion. It takes “brier” WAY into pencil eraser territory, with an open-mic of fresh linoleum that oiled furniture with wet brass feet is having a field-day with. There’s a frenetic clean-ness to the spice and wood–sharp and mineralific–that the fruit is required to take a back seat to.

I’m feeling a heavy decant is in order. I’m having a hard time with my usual *guess the alcohol* game on this one. Imma gonna say….. oh boy… this is tough. 13-nine.

In the mouth, pretty much as you’d expect. A weingut-ey brashness and early mellow tannin clamor for attention alongside bright plumminess and dirty sunshine.

If you’re into big, extracted oaky-jam-bomb Napa cabs, this is NOT your wine. Even Alexander Valley would be taken aback by this wine. I referenced the weingut thing almost flippantly, but I’ve had some Austrian Cabs and a ton of Chinon and this thing really strikes me in that direction the more I think about it. Clear bright and beautiful, singingly astringent, while still managing to work a bunch of fruit into the cracks, long clean finish ridiculously acidic and crammed with match-head. If you’re looking for a food-wine under the category “Cabernet Sauvignon” on your list and want California instead of a hard-sell Medoc or St. Em or Superiore, this is something I would look at. If this were on a list I would order it Every. Single. Day.

2016 DANCING CROW VINEYARDS Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County California 14.3

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