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Ink Grade
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
- 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot
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Vintage Wine Name Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Vintage 2019 Wine Description A complex wine with incredible breadth, typically with around 15% Howell Mountain fruit, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is supple and approachable in its youth but has the capability of evolving gracefully over time. Region Napa Valley Appellation Napa Valley Varietal Composition 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot Vineyard Details Ink Grade features Howell Mountain AVA’s northernmost vineyards and some of its highest (up to 2,200ft). Tasting notes Our 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet emerges from the glass with aromas of mulberry and blackcurrants, complicated by a Howell Mountain garrigue of bay laurel, pine resin, madrone blossom, fennel flowers, manzanita flowers, plus notes of lavender, tarragon, and jasmine tea. Baking spices like nutmeg and clove are found too, with savory cured meat tones. On the palate the wine has wonderful fullness and firm tannin that is accentuated by buttressing acidity. Pairing notes n/a Alcohol % 14 Aging Aged 9 months (60% in new French oak, 40% in oak tanks), followed by 26 months (20% in oak tank, 80% in French oak barrels that are 60% new) SRP 95 Highest Score 92, Wine Spectator "Top 100 Wines of 2023" Highest Score Review Copy Expressive, with bramble and black licorice notes leading off, followed quickly by fresh black cherry and currant preserves. Features flashes of bay leaf and mesquite on the sleek finish, with a strong mineral underpinning as well. Acclaim - 94 James Suckling
- 92 Wine Spectator, Top 100
- 91+ POINTS – Wine Advocate. “Marked by black cherries and cassis aromas, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a fairly muscular effort—not that it's big or bulky, but it shows plenty of tannic depth and a crisply acidic spine. It should be capable of aging well, even if it's not hugely pleasurable at this particular instant. It's 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot aged in a mix of oak tanks and barrels.” Joe Czerwinski, March 2023
Feature Bullet 1 Howell Mountain’s first monopole estate, first planted with vines in 1873 by visionary pioneer, Theron Ink. Feature Bullet 2 800 wild acres, of which 200 are farmed organically and biodynamically since their planting over 35 years ago. Largest biodynamically-farmed vineyard in Napa County. Feature Bullet 3 Winemaker Matt Taylor learned winemaking from legends like Rod Berglund at Joseph Swan and Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac. Feature Bullet 4 History dates back to 1873, current vines replanted under Heitz Cellar in 1990-1991. Cabernet vines are 35 years, rare in Napa. Feature Bullet 5 Howell Mountain AVA’s most graceful, classically-styled wines, made to drink well on release and age for decades. Winery Ink Grade Winery Description The Ink Grade Estate Vineyard claims a view unbeknownst to most in the Napa Valley. Set among densely forested pines and sequoia stands, it lies in the north-east corner of the Howell Mountain AVA with a predominant view facing East. Terraced throughout due to the extreme slope, this mountainside vineyard grasps to volcanic “tufa” soils. Ink Grade Estate possesses a raw tension that renders fruit of immense intensity and depth. If ever there was a site which imparted a feeling of reverence, Ink Grade is such a place. Winemaker Matt Taylor is formerly of Araujo Eisele and Domaine Dujac, and handles this rugged terrain with care and expertise. Winery Instagram Handle @inkgradeestate Winemaker Matt Taylor Winemaker Bio Matt Taylor was born and raised in Sonoma County. Growing up, his parents did not drink, and he was first introduced to the world of wine by his best friend’s dad, Chris Bilbro, who owned Marietta Cellars in Geyserville. His earliest memories of wine would be mushroom hunting or pig hunting, followed by preparing a meal accompanied by a good bottle of wine. While in college, Matt played football at the University of Washington, winning a Pac-10 championship. However, after suffering two herniated disks in his back, Matt decided to give up the game and pursue winemaking. Matt lived in Cádiz, Spain for nearly two years, where he was able to study and work in a Bodega in Jerez. Upon returning to the US, he was hired as assistant winemaker at Joseph Swan in the Russian River Valley, where he worked the 2000 and 2001 vintages. In 2001, he enrolled in Fresno State University where he earned his post-Baccalaureate degree in Viticulture & Enology. He focused on whole cluster while at Fresno State, which led him to meet Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac. This meeting led to an internship at Domaine Dujac under Jacques Seysses for the 2004 vintage. Upon finishing his Viticulture & Enology degree, he joined Araujo Estate Wines to manage the vineyards and act as assistant winemaker to Francoise Peschon. The Araujos also allowed him to work harvests in Argentina and New Zealand. He would go on to become Head Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Araujo Estate Wines. After the 2010 vintage, Matt departed Araujo for two new endeavors: Reuling Vineyard, a Sonoma Coast project focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Front Porch Farm, an organic and biodynamic farm where Matt converted the vineyards to grafted Rhone varieties. From 2014 to 2018, Matt joined Napa Valley winery Chamboulé, where his tenure was crucial to his development, in terms of research, making wines naturally, and his stylistic approach to winemaking. Matt would go on to form his own project, Matt Taylor Wines, focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the West Sonoma Coast and a soon-to-be added Loire-based component. He has also made wines for 32 Winds Wines in Healdsburg, a boutique winery specializing in Sonoma County grapes. In March 2020, Matt joined Lawrence Wine Estates as winemaker for Ink Grade, a new label launching in September 2021. The Ink Grade Estate Vineyard lies in the north-east corner of the Howell Mountain AVA in Napa Valley, boasting scenic views of forested pines and sequoia and rendering pure, intense fruit.