Library! 2018 Loam

The 2018 Loam Cabernet Sauvignon is our proprietary blend of grapes sourced from vineyards planted in Positas, Suther, and Clough soils. It is composed of the best vineyards, grown in the best soil, from the best appellations. Perfectly structured, Loam balances the brightness and focused tannins of hillside fruit with the dense, rich characteristics of fruit grown in the ancient riverbed and valley floor soils. The 2018 growing season started quite dry, with weather stations clocking only 25% of our annual seasonal rainfall by the end of January. The few weeks leading up to budbreak were unseasonably warm. Large diurnal swings in temperature defined the rest of the growing season. It wasn’t until veraison, which occurs in late July, that weeks of low-pressure systems resulted in lower afternoon highs, enabling a perfect ripening season favoring mature tannins and flavors at lower sugar levels. Upon initial evaluation, our 2018 Loam has a wonderful sweet nose of candied black cherry and blue fruits with crumbs of graham cracker crust and shavings of dark chocolate. With more aeration, more complex aromas of worn leather, chiseled rock, and cured meats escape the glass. The 2018 Loam has a very inviting entry that is both fresh and silky. And while it is quite approachable for such a young Cabernet, it still carries the hallmark length and finesse one would expect from our single soil series Cabernets. This beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon will age gracefully for 8+ years.