2021 Annulus Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch
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Tasting notes
Coming from Block 2 at this historic Oakville site, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch combines scents of cherries, cassis, dried herbs, cinnamon and allspice with a bit of dusty earth. It's full-bodied and starts off silky, then comes across as larger-grained and slightly coarser on the lengthy finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard comes from block 2, on the flatter, more eastern side of this great site in Oakville, which went to Cakebread in the past. This dense, inky-hued effort offers a killer bouquet of chocolaty dark fruits, dried herbs, tobacco, and loamy earth. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it stays balanced and has ultra-fine tannins and a great finish.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch is a wine of impact. Dark, burly tannins enshroud a core of dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and leather. The 2021 shows good depth, but it also lacks the textural finesse of the best wines off this ranch. Perhaps some of the tougher contours will eventually soften. We will see.
I tasted two tanks of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch, both of which show quite a bit of potential. The sample from tank #1 is powerful, deep and savory - all typical of this site - while tank #2 shows a bit more inner sweetness and perfume, but with plenty of body.