Bonterra Organic Estates ‘The McNab’ Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
This wine’s rich mulberry-purple hue hints at the depth of complexity in the glass. The 2020 vintage opens with rich aromas of red, blue and black fruit, accented by vanilla bean and a hint of summer bramble. A thread of black currant, blueberry and dark cherry weaves through an earthy palate of mocha, cedar box, mushroom, leather and graphite. A layered and lingering finish is framed by well-structured tannins.
Regenerative Organic Certified® vines, reflecting our commitment to soil health, animal welfare and social fairness.
Winemaking Notes
Each lot is destemmed and crushed into a stainless steel tank; cold-soaked at 50°F for five days to extract color and refined tannin character before onset of primary fermentation. Lots are then fermented separately at 85°F degrees; two pump-overs per day to minimize extraction of bitter tannins. Lots are drained and pressed separately using a gentle basket press; then, transferred to barriques for malolactic fermentation and aging.
Aged 14 months in a mix of fine grain and mid-fine grain Bordeaux oak barriques (25% new), with medium to medium-long toast; untoasted heads. This carefully designed oak regimen creates a fresh, youthful style of Cabernet, without masking fruit characteristics.
Vineyard Notes
A century after its origins as a sheep farm, McNab Ranch Vineyard captured the imagination of organic viticulture icon, Jim Fetzer. Drawing on the knowledge of legendary biodynamic farming expert, Alan York, Fetzer transformed the site into a model of sustainable winegrowing in 1996. Today, McNab Ranch is a beacon of regenerative organic viticulture, an idyllic site where sheep graze on cover crops to reduce tractor passes and beneficial insects naturally ward off unwanted pests. The vineyard’s moderate microclimate fosters a fresher, more youthful style of Cabernet Sauvignon than its Napa Valley counterparts.
The vineyard is characterized by five soil series; this blend comes from blocks that skirt the ranch on the northern edge of the vineyard. These blocks have well-draining, gravelly-loam soils formed by alluvium weathered from sedimentary rock.
Inland Mendocino echoes a Mediterranean climate with 40 inches of rain annually, predominantly during the winter months; significant diurnal swings up to 45 degrees.
Harvest Notes
The 2020 Harvest was characterized by smaller berries with increased phenolics and highly concentrated flavor. Grapes were harvested by hand from early September to mid-October.
Technical Details
- Type
- Red
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Region
- California
- Appellation
- Mendocino
- Vintage
- 2020
WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to: www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/BPA.