Matthew Wallace Adobe Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

With fifteen years of collaboration under their belts, Matt Hardin and Thomas Rivers Brown are still picking up steam as evident in this incredible debut Cab! Matt has managed some of Napa’s most iconic vineyards up and down the valley. Thomas Rivers Brown has crafted some of Napa’s most celebrated and scored wines. They’re each at the top of their game and have teamed up to create incredible brands such as Maybach, Outpost, Pulido-Walker, Casa Piena, and Caterwaul.
 
ACME has celebrated this rockstar duo since their early days together, and the Regusci Vineyard Cab from Matthew Wallace has been a perennial favorite of our clients for years. So it was to our absolute delight that a serendipitous run-in with Matt last week uncovered this new single-vineyard Cabernet. When we tasted it, we assumed it was $150+, and we leaped from our seats when we learned it was only $65! What a relief to know that not all Napa Cab prices are sprinting upward.

Not only is the release of this Cab a debut for the brand, but it is also a debut for the Adobe Vineyard which Matt Hardin planted 5 years ago. This 18-acre parcel is located on the east-facing slopes of Pope Valley, an area that Matt knows intimately. The Eastern exposure with layered and well-draining soils at the foot of steep, tree-strewn hills is practically tailor-made to yield sophisticated Cabernet. The fruit here ripens to juicy perfection under morning light and afternoon heat. The vines are sheltered from the evening sun, giving the site dramatic diurnal temperature swings that balance the wine's bold structure with vibrant acidity and elegant structure. The palate is dark-fruited and rich with notes of blueberry, cassis, graphite, and cocoa. The structure is robust and blooms across your palate, finishing with a delightfully bright acidic kick at that end that is mouthwatering and refreshing.