2021 Rivers Marie - Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga (750ml)

Rivers-Marie is the personal project of Thomas Rivers Brown, one of Napa Valley's most sought-after consulting winemakers, with clients including Schrader and Outpost. He founded the label in 2002 with his wife, Genevieve Marie Welsh, combining their middle names for the winery's name. Their estate sits in Calistoga on the former site of her family's organic farm, where Brown pursues a more restrained, site-driven style than his consulting work, drawing on vineyards across Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga is an appellation blend drawn largely from Larkmead Vineyard, known for its loamy volcanic soils, with fruit from a few neighboring northern Napa Valley sites. Brown favors early picking to preserve freshness and works with native yeasts, aiming for a wine that reflects place over power. The result is built with the same care as the winery's single-vineyard bottlings, aged in French oak to round out its structure.

Savory black and red fruit lead the nose, layered with dried herbs, graphite, and the walnut shell and crushed stone character typical of Larkmead. Medium to full-bodied, it shows ripe, well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Try it with roast duck or a firm alpine cheese.