2021 Caleb Leisure 'Other Hand' Cabernet Sauvignon
Finally! I've now made 5 wines from this gem of a vineyard and this is the first release. This is my closest source to the winery, just a 10 minute drive into the hills of Alexander Valley. The yields are incredibly low, the berries small and concentrated. The wine reflects this. The ferment got off to a tough start, as so many did for me in '21, but cleaned up beautifully. It needed extended time in clay to soften and integrate. A touch of volatility and charcuterie-like amine flavors frame a bright core of complex fruit. Brooding and very alive!
TASTING NOTES: Bright dense fruit, spice, cured meat
PRODUCTION NOTES: Whole cluster ferment in qvevri and macro bin, pressed after 12 days in to qvevri for 18 month elevage.
VARIETAL: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
APPELLATION: Alexander Valley
FARMING: Organic
SOIL: Calcareous alluvium (clay loam)
VINES: 21 years old