Barnett Vineyards Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
(Napa Valley, California) - [DM 94] [VM 92] [WA 91]

About the Winery:
Barnett Vineyards is a small, family-owned winery, celebrating over 40 years on Spring Mountain, Napa Valley. With a focus on small lot, premium wines, Barnett produces an average of 8,000 cases annually. At an elevation of 2,000 ft, with rocky and well drained soils, our estate yields ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Sourcing from esteemed single vineyards across Northern California, we also produce beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With a focus on organic farming, and minimalist winemaking techniques, each wine captures a sense of vintage and terroir.

About the Wine:
The 2021 Spring Mountain Cabernet exhibits the darkest purple that we have ever had on this wine. Blackberry, caramel, and anise jump from the glass. There are beautiful notes of cassis concentrate, cedar, and dark cigar tobacco. The wine has a pretty and silky entry, with more dark berry fruit and cigar box notes. Black cherry and rich dark chocolate are also present on the palate. The tannins are very firm this year, yet chalky and not biting. There is strong mountain acidity to balance the tannins out. The wine has a long cocoa/nib mocha finish. This big, concentrated Cabernet will age beautifully over the next 14-16 years (2037- 2038

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Alluring aromas of sagebrush and bay laurel wrap around the pure black fruit notes of this wine, which are intermixed with toasty cedarwood. The palate is equally inviting, with a medium-bodied richness that is quite mineral-driven and tinged with smoky clove, spearmint, and iron-like minerals. These are balanced by velvety, textured tannins that have a pliant quality. This is a mountain-made wine with generosity of fruit and intensity of structure." - Jonathan Cristaldi (May 2024)

92 Points - Vinous Media:
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is redolent of super-ripe dark fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and chocolate. Mountain tannins give this rich, heady Cabernet Sauvignon quite a bit of character. I would give it a year or two to settle down. Kirsch, cinnamon, new leather and a hint of blood orange linger. 2025-2034.

91 Points - Wine Advocate:
"Consumers take note: Barnett's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District is more complex and structured than the MMV bottling yet also less expensive. Sage and bay leaf join black cherries and a hint of vanilla on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is soft and easy drinking but with decent backbone and length and plentiful soft, dusty tannins on the finish. The blend includes 12% Petite Verdot." - Joe Czerwinski (Jan 2024)