2016 EMH Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat Napa (750ml)

EMH Vineyards began in 1999 when Merrill Lindquist bought a tiny parcel of land just east of the Silverado Trail in Calistoga, at less than an acre one of the smallest estates in Napa Valley. She originally sold most of the fruit to other producers while keeping a small portion for herself, but the quality of her own bottling eventually convinced her to devote the entire harvest to her own label. That wine, named Black Cat after a family pet, is made today by winemaker Kenn Vigoda and released almost exclusively through EMH's mailing list, with production limited to around a hundred cases a year.

The fruit comes entirely from EMH's own estate parcel, a small block of gravelly loam soil tucked among the hills near the Silverado Trail. Harvested at full ripeness, the grapes are fermented as one hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak, typically for well over a year, with a portion of new barrels used to round out the wine's structure without overwhelming the fruit. The result is a wine defined by consistency, since each vintage of Black Cat is built to express the same small, distinctive site rather than to shift with each year's stylistic trends.

The wine offers a classic Black Cat profile of bright cherry and wild bramble fruit, layered with anise, mint, and plum, along with accents of cocoa, cedar, and baking spice. Medium bodied with well integrated tannins, it finishes long and balanced rather than heavy. Its bright fruit and gentle spice make it a versatile match for roasted chicken, grilled pork tenderloin, or a semi-firm cheese like manchego.