2020 Brecon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Folks have been penning tasting notes/reviews on these vines for over fifty years! That's a lot of cerebral hemorrhaging. We wish we had some of those early musings. Consistent year in year out, it does, however, clearly seem that with greater vine age, the waxing has become way more lyrical. Here is just one example from the previous vintage: “This is a purple-powered punch of a wine: It’s bright, with focused, slick tannins; good acid structure; and a juicy mouthfeel. Plum, violets, and boysenberry join in a dance of merriment with savory notes of cured meat that impart intriguing elegance” (Somm Journal 03/2022). You could write the same note for this vintage too.
Best of Class, 96 pts. L.A. International, June 2023
Old-vine Cabernet truly requires a skilled hand. Sure, we use a little Petit Verdot as topping wine. For us it’s akin to slipping granny something to get the venerable old lady doing the fandango at her granddaughter's wedding. These older vines shine through but now have a wicked twinkle in their eye.
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Varietal Composition | 100% 2020
94% CS AD Brecon
6% PV Brecon AD |
| Appellation | Paso Robles Adelaida |
| Acid | 0.60g/100ml |
| PH | 3.80 |
| Aging | Drink Now - 2032 |
| Residual Sugar | 0.05g/100ml |
| Alcohol | 14.80% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/31/2022 |
| Cases Produced | 183 |
Brecon vineyard was the third or fourth Cabernet vineyard planted in all of Paso Robles. About 15 acres are still standing strong (amazing since they were planted on their own roots), whereas their slightly older brethren have long since succumbed to a rather large yellow bulldozer. We solely use grapes from the western slope for the Reserve program. For us the economics are unimportant, we have a special duty of care to elucidate the special uniqueness of old vine Cabernet planted on calcareous bedrock topped with linne calodo clay.
