2021 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Rarefied Air
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Another borderline perfect wine from this estate, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rarefied Air is a 300-case selection with the vineyard sources not specified (although I was told it wasn't Beckstoffer fruit). All varietal aged 22 months in new barrels, its deep purple hue is followed by fantastic aromatics of black fruits, iron, graphite, and black licorice, with perfectly integrated background oak. It's not a blockbuster, yet it brings incredible concentration and depth, with full-bodied richness, a focused, precise mouthfeel, fine tannins, and remarkable mid-palate depth. The oak here is also perfectly integrated. Incredible in every way, if you're lucky enough to find a bottle, buy it. It deserves 5-7 years of bottle age and will have 20-30 years of overall longevity.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Jeb Dunnuck
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From an undisclosed single vineyard, Myriad's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rarefied Air is impressively dark-fruited, featuring plums, black cherries and blueberries, plus hints of dark chocolate. Impressively concentrated and complex, this full-bodied effort boasts a wonderfully plush texture, yet never seems heavy or overdone, from ebullient start to impressively long finish. Yes, it's potent stuff but wow!
Lastly, and bottled in magnum only (there are only seven barrels made), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rarefied Air is reminiscent of a great vintage of Château Mouton-Rothschild with its powerful black fruits as well as notes of smoked earth, tobacco, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings. Full-bodied, concentrated, and wonderfully structured, it's not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to demand 4-6 years of bottle age.
About the producer
Mike Smith is one of Napa’s leading winemakers, crafting top-scoring wines for the likes of Quivet, PerChance, Kindred and Flora Springs. Myriad Cellars is his personal label, run with his wife Leah.