2021 Paysan Cabernet Sauvignon "Old Vines", San Benito County, California (750ml)
About the Icons
Ian Brand, with several wine labels in play, is one of our go-to producers for moderately-priced, honest wines, often coming from old vineyards outside more heavily "branded" regions like Napa Valley. His San Benito Cabernet Sauvignon featured here is a perfect example. Ian's very helpful notes follow -
Producer Notes - "Location: We sourced Cabernet Sauvignon from three vineyards. The 60-year-old Brigantino Vineyard originally planted for Almaden, the 45-year-old Wheeler Ranch growing in calcareous alluvial deposits over the San Benito Arroyo and the 75-year-old Tres Pinos Creek Vineyard in silty alluvial deposits. All of our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are either practicing organic, certified organic, or in the process of converting to organic farming. Petit Verdot is from the Paicines AVA and Cabernet Pfeffer is from the Cienega Valley AVA. All vineyards experience warm days and cold nights, typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late-ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon off old vineyards, planted with old massale/clonal selections on old-school rootstocks (St. George and AXR-1) made in a style reflective of the classic California cabernets of the 1970's.
Winemaking: Fermented whole berries (grapes that are destemmed) with a very light crush in open-top fermenters, allowing slower extraction of tannins into the must and lots of oxygen into the fermentation for polymerization of tannins. Not inoculated for primary or secondary. Pressed after approximately 20 days. Aged for 11 months on lees in mostly neutral barrels with a couple of active oak barrels sprinkled in.
Tasting Notes: The nose opens with wild huckleberry and fresh picked blackberry underscored by herbaceous hints of oregano and green peppercorn. Tart black fruits fill the palate evoking boysenberry jam and baking spices, which lead into a savory mix of oregano and thyme before ending with a structured, ripe, mineral driven finish."