Shannon Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 750ml

$18.99

Clay Shannon found this land in 1995, in the hills above Clear Lake, thirty-five miles north of Napa. The family now farms more than two thousand acres of high-altitude vineyard, and a flock of a thousand sheep does the weeding and canopy work instead of mowers and sprays. The High Elevation Cabernet blends three Lake County appellations: High Valley for tannin, Red Hills for ripe fruit, Big Valley for texture. Sixteen months in French oak.

Blackberry and dried cranberry up front, with black pepper and allspice around the edges. Ripe and concentrated on the palate. Toasted oak and vanilla fill in the middle, and cedar carries a long finish.

Classic matches for Cabernet Sauvignon: Ribeye off the grill, lamb chops, aged cheddar, a rainy night and a good movie.

The thousand-acre mountain vineyard in the High Valley AVA is certified organic and planted on volcanic soils. Sheep have cut mowing dramatically and all but eliminated gas-powered weed eaters. Chickens and cattle work the property too, under a program the family calls Project Ovis. California Green Medal Environment Award in 2021.