2020 Vine Hill Ranch VHR Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Derived from grapes picked between August 24 and September 25, there are limited quantities of VHR's 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a bit minty and herbal, with hints of crushed stone accenting mixed red and black cherries. It's medium to full-bodied but comes across as taut and firm, even a touch austere. It's an excellent effort, although I do wonder if the tannins will ever truly relax.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
A rock-solid wine in the vintage, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR was harvested from the 24th of August to the 4th of September. Despite these early dates, it has good ripeness in its darker currants, chocolate, violets, and graphite-driven aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ripe, polished tannins, solid overall balance, and a great finish. It seems completely smoke free and has lots to love, even if it lacks the sparkle of a truly great vintage here.
The Phillipses began picking just after Cory Empting did in their vineyard for Harlan Estate, so started on 25 August and went right through until 25 September but the fruit that went into this wine was picked before the end of the first week in September. Bruce Phillips argues that the real enemy of wine quality was not smoke but the extreme heat. Tasted just after the Opus One and it immediately seemed more opulent even if slightly drying on the finish. Rich start and then the tannins seem very slightly more rustic than usual but this is good wine! (JR)
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is dense, powerful and unyielding. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice, graphite, bay leaf and dried herbs give the 2020 its decidedly somber, potent feel. The 2020 was harvested from August 24 to September 8, very early for the estate, with half of the fruit coming in between August 24 and 27. Because of that, the tannins are pretty imposing in their presence. The VHR Cabernet is a very, very good wine for the year, but understanding the natural ceiling imposed by the very challenging conditions of the year. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how the 2020 develops in the coming years.