Newton Single Vineyard Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (75cl, 14.5%)

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley's Mayacamas Mountains, bottled at 14.5% ABV, with only 1,084 cases produced. The Mt. Veeder estate occupies steep southern-facing slopes between 750 and 1,250 feet in elevation, with thin rocky mountain soils that restrict vine vigour and yields. After primary fermentation and malolactic conversion, the wine spent 12 months in French oak barrels, 60% new, was blended, then returned to barrel for a further 6 months. The nose opens with deep cassis and dark berries, layered with cedar wood, musk and slate-like minerality, developing black truffle, earth, violet and oak spice. The palate is powerful and mineral-driven, with concentrated blackberry, plum sauce, wild sage, red and black currant, kirsch and textural density. The finish is long and muscular, with tar, cedar, sassafras and singed bay leaf over firm but polished tannins.