Vocal Vineyards Bates Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Cabernet Sauvignon is legendary in the Santa Cruz Mountains, The Montebello Ridge is home to some of the most sought after vines in all of the new world, and the ridges planted by Paul Masson in the early 1900s produced California's first cult wines. Forty miles south, tucked into the redwoods and live oak savannahs on the back side of Mount Madonna and cooled by the breezes off the Monterey Bay that come over Hecker Pass, Bates Ranch first came to quiet prominence in the bottlings of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards and Ahlgren Vineyards.
Vocal was lucky enough to be offered an allocation of hillside rows of Cabernet Sauvignon off the original dry farmed, own-rooted 1969 planting on the Ranch. The wine is spicy and rich and displays the chiseled elegance of old vine Cabernet refined in French Barrel.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.