2021 Cerro Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Year after year, the Cerro Cabernet remains our top-selling product year after year... this wine is truly exceptional.

Value is a word that's been absent from the discussion of quality Napa Cabs for some time, especially in these inflationary times. That's why we're excited to share with you the Cerro Cab on offer today.

J. Derek Beitler, winemaker and owner of JDB Wines (and maker of this Napa Cab) comes from a winemaking family that’s as well regarded as any in Napa. You may have heard of his uncle, Charlie Wagner, founder of Caymus. His brother owns Bohème in Sonoma.

Derek does not rest on the successes of his family, though. He spent his summers working at Caymus while in college and continues the pursuit of perfection in crafting his namesake wines. He now owns two wineries—Carne Humana Winery in Napa which he founded with his cousin Joey Wagner in 2010. But before that, he started his solo venture, JDB Wines, in 2007.

When someone who cut his teeth in the wine business at Caymus makes a Napa Cab, you pay attention. That’s a good thing because the Cerro Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley deserves your attention. It comes from a vineyard situated along the northern edge of the Oak Knoll District (covered by an NDA because other wines from here sell for $250+). Located in the southern part of Napa, the cooling effect from the San Pablo Bay keeps the climate temperate, creating a fresh, restrained profile on the Cerro Cabernet Sauvignon, which we found refreshing and zippy. What shines through is elevated red fruit accompanied by a lower ABV. The Cabernet is blended with a wee bit of Petit Verdot (just 5%) to add graceful tannins and compound the depth of flavor.

2021 is looking to be one of the vintages of the decade. Vinous Media blessed this year with a 95-98 point score, and said: "Two thousand twenty-one is a fabulous vintage in Napa Valley. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that production is down sharply, 30-50% in many cases. The wines have tremendous energy as well as finesse. In tasting, the 2021s show some of the savory intensity of other drought vintages – 2013 and 2014 come to mind – but with more aromatic explosiveness and greater inner sweetness."

Aging: 40% new French oak barrels

100% Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, there are unmistakable Napa Cab notes of blueberries, rhubarb, cherries, and vanilla on the nose. A healthy dose of oak provides backbone, cinnamon, and toast. The blue fruits come out on the palate along with plums and coffee and comforting savories. Serve after chilling in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and revel as it unfolds in the glass.

The 2021 Cerro Cabernet was aged for 20 months in French oak. This full-bodied red showcases dark berry fruits and mocha-spiced aromatics, which continue on the palate with bold, burly tannins and enticing notes of charcuterie, black pepper, candied violets, and mulberry fruit, laced with toffee and toasty cedarwood spices. It offers a robust structure and depth suitable for ageing, yet delivers ample immediate pleasure for near-term enjoyment. Cerro wines are produced by Derek Beitler, a winemaker with deep roots in Napa Valley’s wine scene (his uncle, Charlie Wagner, is the founder of Caymus). Derek has crafted the Cerro wines with a focus on sourcing high-quality fruit from prestigious Napa Valley sites, including areas like Rutherford, Calistoga, and the Oak Knoll District~94 Decanter

~93 Beverage Testing Institute (v.2020)

Deep, well extracted, dense core, with pronounced blackberry, cassis, and dried herb notes,. Wonderful aromatic intensity, broad and expansive; ripe, full, and weighty on the palate, with nicely balanced ample, well integrated oak notes.5% Petit Verdot provides added structure and a broadened range of depth and complexity; 40% aged in new French oak. The fruit is sourced from just east of Atlas Peak.The lifted elevation of the vineyard provides a wide diurnal temperature swing that helps retain acidity, along with creating a more nuanced wine. ~92 Tasting Panel Review (v.2020)

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