Cakebread Cellars 2021 Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cakebread Cellars 2021 Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is an exceptional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, sourced from the renowned Dancing Bear Ranch Estate Vineyard on Howell Mountain. The vineyard is divided into 24 distinctive blocks based on varietal type, sun exposure, soil composition, and clonal selection. Sitting between 1,400 and 1,900 feet elevation, the vineyard offers a diverse range of growing conditions with its dry, rocky, and volcanic soils. The vines thrive in these well-drained, high-altitude conditions, producing small yet intensely flavorful grapes. To ensure optimal tannin levels and avoid over-extraction, the fermentation and maceration process is carefully monitored. After aging in French oak barrels, the component wines are skillfully blended to create a wine with intense mountain character.

98 points, Jeb Dunnuck

"Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch comes from a stunning estate vineyard on Howell Mountain with the plantings dating back to 1999. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and a splash of Cabernet Franc, aged in 59% new oak, this beauty reminds me of a great Saint-Julien (Leoville Barton?) with its incredible purity and regal, structured style. Crème de cassis, lead pencil, violets, chalky minerality, and chocolaty oak all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, ripe yet perfectly integrated tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It needs air if drinking any time soon and will ideally be given 4-6 years in the cellar. This beauty will have three decades of overall longevity."