We make our Cabernet Sauvignon by harvesting as early as we can to prevent excessive alcohol, and as late as we have to for ripe delicious flavors, always with an eye for balance and elegance. Our Cabernet Sauvignon always has a beautiful wild cherry core.  It shows off its lush red fruits and layers of complex characters underneath.  You will always find that bright fruit and lovely acidity inter-twined with silky tannins in Red Mare’s Cabernet Sauvignon.

We source our fruit from organic or highly sustainable vineyards. Once in the cellar, we use old-world methods, favoring technique over additives. Barrels are a crucial part of the winemaking process. We only use French oak, and we only use three coopers that we trust. Anne has traveled to their cooperages in France and feels confident in their consistency, sourcing, and quality. We use only 30% new oak each year, preferring our wines to express their sense of place, first and foremost.

Accolades

92 points, James Suckling 
"Lots of ripe blackberry, black cherry and tobacco leaf on the nose with some fruit peel and resin. It’s medium-to-full-bodied with abundant black-fruit flavors. Firm, sleek tannins. Flavorful finish. Try from 2021."

90 points, VINOUS Media, Antonio Galloni
"Red Mare's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is soft, plush, and quite approachable." 

90 Points, Wine & Spirits Magazine

Tasting Notes

This wine opens with the classic Red Mare cherry, then leans toward darker fruits. It has a lovely creaminess reminiscent of biscuits, flaky pie crust, and brioche. There is also a savory note, something more mysterious and earthier deeper down. In the mouth, it is classically generous with a balanced acidity typical of our Cabernet Sauvignon. It blossoms, opening up and releasing fruit characters, then gently settles. Seamless and cohesive in the mouth, it is gathered and contained with a structure of sweet acidity that draws the wine toward an elegant long finish.

Vintage Notes

The 2016 vintage is the last of Napa's recent drought years.  Luckily, late spring rains helped recharge the soil profile giving a strong start to the season.  The early season started off well with no frosts or big temperature spikes. After the cool spring of 2015, this uneventful spring was welcome.  Mild temperatures continued into August and allowed for outstanding flavor development and retention of acid. 2016's moderate yields and ideal temperatures are apparent with the expressive fruit flavors and freshness showing in the glass.

Vineyard Notes

2016 saw some changes to our vineyard sources. Alsace, a family-run vineyard in the heart of Rutherford appellation remains the heart of the blend, but with the planned replant of one source, we looked to a nearby vineyard in Oak Knoll, planted meticulously and farmed organically by Josh Clark.  It also gave room for a long-wished-for relationship with the Volker Eisele Estate in Chiles Valley.  We are beyond pleased to be sourcing fruit from this historic, organically farmed vineyard.  Both sites have come together beautifully and express the elements we always look for in our Red Mare Cabernet Sauvignon.