2021 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This 2021 bottling is sourced primarily from the estate’s Coombsville vineyard, located in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley. From a cool, late-ripening spot, Coombsville fruit is often blended with riper, more forward, up-valley fruit in order to add spine and definition to Napa Cabernets, and this is a prime example. Faust’s Coombsville site, certified organic in ’21, accounts for about half of the blend, along with fruit from Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and other AVAs. In a category known for triple-digit prices, this is an emphatic answer to the Napa Cabernet value search. Packed and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over blackcurrant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead. *No. 4 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2024* (JM)

A well deserved placement in the Wine Spectator's Top 10 wines of 2024! Faust's Coombsville estate that provides the core of this wine was planted back in 1998 when this very cool sub-region of Napa Valley was still considered a gamble by many folks who thought the area was too cold to consistently ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. Well, that risk paid off as this region is now home to some of the most prized vineyards in the valley, especially for folks looking for more serious, structured, and varietally correct wines. On a personal note, my son plays Little League Baseball right next to this vineyard, so I've spent a lot of time down there, and the site is legitimately cold and windy! It's often 10 degrees cooler than my side of town juts a few miles north west. Fresh breezes come right off San Pablo Bay and morning fog is often particularly thick in this corridor up the eastern bench of the Vaca ranges. The soils here are volcanic gravels and coarse loams, perfect for Cabernet. The CCOF Organic signs proudly displayed on the vineyard gate and fence line of the property shows the Huneeus family's commitment to diligent, sustainable, organic viticulture...it also make me feel better when kids have to go searching amongst the vines to retrieve foul balls! The wine itself, combines the signature dark graphite and mulberry core of Coombsville Cab with more exotic, plush cassis fruit from Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford that make up the remainder of the blend. A modest use of French oak (only 20% new) but longer elevage in barrel (20 months) has allowed the tannins to become refined and tactile, but without blasting the fruit with over the top oak influence. When you're working with raw materials this good you don't need so much gloss I guess!? I love how authentic this wine feels, and what an incredible value it represents in the current market. Approachable now, but also a wine that will easily age 10-15 years or more. Bravo to the folks at Faust for an excellent wine and well deserved recognition!