2018 Morgado Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard Napa Valley

WSI95+ JD97 Even better, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard is loaded with ripe black fruits as well as wild mountain scrub brush and tobacco-like nuances. It’s full-bodied, with terrific tannins and beautiful overall balance. Another singular wine in the lineup, it can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20 years.
Estate Notes: Dark as the night of a lunar eclipse, this wine quickly reveals the mountain nature of this amazing site. Dark chocolate, muddled blackberries, and fresh asphalt leads down a path to mouth coating flavors of black plum galette, acai, clove, and allspice. Tightly woven, the silky satin nature of this Cabernet will slowly unravel if one can resist the youthful exuberance this wine displays as soon as the cork is pulled. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 22 months in 100% new French oak Darnajou and Taransaud. 150 cases produced. 

VINEYARD: Perched high above lake Hennessey in the Napa Valley where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this mountainous site. Aerial views of this vineyard give an insider’s look into the intricate patchwork of blocks on steep hillsides and terraces. Some vines are so close to the edge, you wonder, how will this survive? And yet, they thrive. A good part of that success is the soil, the dynamic climate, and the meticulous farming at this high elevation mountain vineyard. 

Morgado Cellars is a project by wine maker Kimberly Hatcher: 
“I have been a San Francisco firefighter since 1998 and a winemaker since 2009.  In anticipation of a full life after retirement from the San Francisco Fire Department, I went in search of wine knowledge and found a wonderful community willing to point me in the right direction.  I have enjoyed drinking wine for many years.  From my college days forward I ventured in and out of a few casual tasting groups, each time learning a little bit more about evaluating wine.  Once I got the thought in my head to try my hand at wine making, the pieces just seemed to fall into place.  I knew a grape grower, who sent me to her farmer, who told me to go and talk to their wine maker who tasted me on the most mind blowing wines I have ever come across.  The hook was set and I was unstoppable! 
I have to thank the man who gave me my start. Russell Bevan extended his tutelage, taking a chance on a girl with no experience in wine making.   He told me that when we first met, my passion for my job and family gave him insight into my work ethic and dedication to everything that I do. And I am sure it didn’t hurt that I loved his wine!   I worked hard and asked every question that came to mind in the winery and in the vineyard.  Russell had the patients of Jobe and opened up opportunities that might have taken me years to find otherwise. I will forever be grateful for this.