Saturated purple-hued, with plum and blue fruits intermixed with chocolate, violets, and flowers, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is full-bodied and concentrated, with a great mid-palate and a lively, focused, elegant mouthfeel. This beautiful wine will be long-lived and deserves 4-5 years of bottle age.

Polished and refined, with aromas of blackcurrants, bitter chocolate, blueberry compote, graphite and black olives. The palate is full-bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins and bright acidity, showing flavors of dark plums, black cherry confit, coffee beans, oak spices and earth. There are no hard edges, with both early drinking and age-worthy characteristics. Delicious. Drink or hold.

Sam Kaplan began sourcing fruit from Vine Hill Ranch in 2017, specifically from Blocks 7 and 4, planted with Clone 337 and Clone 4, respectively. Harvest for the 2022 vintage began on 3 September and concluded on 13 September. Kaplan allowed Block 4, rooted in light rhyolitic loamy soils, to hang slightly longer, preserving its exceptional fruit purity. For context, he picked Block 7 on the same day as his Beckstoffer Dr. Crane fruit, a noteworthy detail for collectors as both wines exhibit exceptional quality. This wine delivers serious density and balanced tension. Compact and layered, it features inky dark berry fruits, wild herb character, dusty minerals, and grippy tannins with a velvety edge. Married with a distinct iron-fist-like mineral tension, this wine exemplifies the best attributes of Napa's finest sites. This wine has abundant energy and drive, making it a perfect companion for a long, rich meal. Whether paired with poultry, beef, or pork, it will shine, evolving beautifully in the glass and lifting the culinary experience—a truly great effort, and a wine of depth, elegance, and enduring appeal. (JC)