98pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Tierra Roja Vineyard is deep purple-hued and has a serious sense of iron in its black fruits, roasted herbs, chocolate, and mineral aromas and flavors. It's full-bodied, rich, and structured, yet has a gorgeous mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, and a great finish. 98+

94pts James Suckling

Extremely floral with tile and terra-cotta as well as black currants. Some black olives. Medium to full body, with round and beautiful tannins that caress the palate. Turns balanced and beautiful at the end. A friendly and soft wine.

Tasting Notes

Dark ruby-purple core with a bright edge. Supple and perfectly ripe, the wine offers aromas of mixed berries, preserved plums, bittersweet cocoa, iron ore, licorice, violets, and crushed stones. The wine expands on the palate, becoming voluminous and rich, bringing to mind black cherry compote, cassis, Madagascar vanilla, espresso, sun-dried herbs, lavender, and allspice. Velvety tannins stand tall with the ripe fruit. It is full-bodied, carrying its weight effortlessly. Drink now–2040.

Vineyard Notes

Tierra Roja sits on the east side of Oakville, neighbored by Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, and Rudd. Originally planted to vine in the 1920s by the Denatale family, the property came into its own under Linda Neal’s stewardship. Linda and her family ran a Napa Valley vineyard management company for many years, and she terraced the sloping hillsides and replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon in the late ‘80s.

The red soils that inspired the vineyard’s name are rich in iron and rock, producing intense dark fruit with long, silky tannins.