Led by consulting winemaker Francoise Peschon and winemaker/viticulturist Elizabeth Tangney, this property is really hitting its stride now. Cornell Vineyards is in the Mayacamas Range just west of the Spring Mountain District. It’s a microcosm of almost absurd geological diversity. Derived from ancient sea beds and volcanoes, the colorful soils are comprised of volcanic rock, sandstone, shale, cobblestone, and loamy clay. This diversity and the rolling terrain led to the identification of 20 distinct blocks, each bearing a different combination of variety, clone, and rootstock. This is the first vintage of Cornell’s newest Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from their estate vineyard on Spring Mountain. Their vineyard averages about 2-2.5 tons per acre which is very low but offers focused dark red, fruit and underlying notes of dark cocoa in the glass. “A burst of sweet red/purplish fruit, cedar, spice, mint and tobacco infuses the 2017 with striking depth and layers of complexity. It is everything a second wine should be - a representation of the estate's flagship wine. And it is a hidden gem in this vintage.”- Antonio Galloni