Mending Wall Cabernet Sauvignon Godward Vineyard Rutherford Napa Valley 2021

The 2021 Godward Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Mending Wall showcases heady blue fruit, violet, creme de cassis, kirsch, vanilla, and toasty oak aromatics. This lush red has ample minerality, framed by present and building tannins that have a fine-grained quality. Red-toned fruit flavours with exacting mineral tension and grip suggest this is a Cabernet that will reward those who have the patience to hold bottles for a few years before popping corks.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Godward Vineyard comes from a vineyard located between Staglin and Scarecrow, in Rutherford, that previously went into the old Georges III Private Reserve releases from Beaulieu. It's a gorgeous wine that has ample red, blue, and black fruits supported by textbook Cabernet Sauvignon notes of chocolate, loamy earth, and baking spice. This beauty is medium to full-bodied, has a round, elegant, seamless mouthfeel, nicely integrated tannins, and a great finish. It has tons of up-front charm, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve gracefully over the coming decades as well given its flawless balance.