Hibou Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2018

One of our favorite things here at ACME is supporting the projects of our friends and neighbors.  So, when Hibou’s Jason & Hilary Driscoll let us in on their new, one-off bottling of Cabernet from a prized but secret vineyard in Rutherford, we were ecstatic.  Their wines have always over-delivered, and this debut wine is no different. 

A gold owl, an ancient cultural signifier of wisdom, adorns the Hibou label.  Patient and tenacious seekers, did you know that a flock of these sage avians is called a parliament?  They are also great friends of the vineyard- indeed, their ecological benefits lead many growers to outfit their vineyards with nesting boxes to encourage their habitation.  So the husband-and-wife team, who focus singularly on seeking out exceptional vineyard sources, decided “Hibou” (pronounced ee-boo), the French word for owl, seemed the perfect fit for their wine label. 

A trained chef, Jason’s first foray into wine was a harvest spent at Elsom Cellars, a small family winery in Woodinville, Washington.  The family relocated to St. Helena to fulfill his dream of working at the Culinary Institute of America.  After spending time balancing kitchen apprenticeships and winery work, Jason eventually gravitated toward the cellar’s slower pace and in-depth processes.  Hibou allows Jason to express his passion across a broad palette of microclimates as he sources flavorful fruit from exceptional vineyards throughout Northern California.  Like an owl in pursuit, once he sets his sights on the fruit he wants to work with, he uses culinary persuasion to help seal the deal.  Jason once knocked on a grower’s farmhouse door with a picnic basket in tow of homemade pâté and champagne.  After a nice lunch, a chat, and a stroll through the vines, he had a fruit contract. 

The vineyard source for their 2018 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon came about similarly.  Jason could hardly believe his luck when his gutsy request for fruit from the historic property was obliged.  While the site remains under an NDA, we can share it lies in the heart of Rutherford AVA, with the original plantings dating back to the late 1800s. Initially, this wine was destined for a gift bottling to celebrate the 70th birthday of Jason’s mother.  However, the final wine was too good to keep solely for the family.  So they labeled the wine to share, and boy, are we happy they did. 

The Driscolls keep the winemaking incredibly simple: sample the fruit, measure the sugar levels and harvest directly into open-top bins.  Fermentation progresses naturally, with native yeasts, for three weeks before racking.  Jason employed a mix of 50% new French oak and 50% neutral French oak for almost three years in barrel.  An additional nearly two years of bottle aging has given this Cabernet time to soften, round, and build layered complexity.  An outpouring of dark berries, cocoa powder, baking spice, and cranberry jam aromatics fills the nose.   While densely rich with fleshy tannins, the palate exhibits a perfect touch of acidity to indulge the spiced plum jam, vanilla bean, and toasted cocoa nib flavors.  100% Cabernet with only 100 cases produced and wine meant for savoring in celebration.