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Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is exuberant and expressive, with a bounty of wild bramble berry fruits alongside lifted floral notes of lavender and violet. There are also warmer spiced notes of Crème brûlée, allspice and black pepper, a nod from the seamless oak integration. On the palate, juicy cassis, black currant and blackberry are supported by hints of delicate red rose, brown butter and bittersweet chocolate, giving this Cabernet a rich depth and complexity. Cocoa-powdery tannins provide a pleasurable mouth coating texture, all enfolding into a lengthy mouthwatering finish. Very approachable and pleasing upon release, this wine is sure to impress and pair well alongside many culinary dishes.

92 points James Suckling
A very aromatic red, offering baking spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and anisette, as well as notes of ripe blackcurrants, plums and dark chocolate. Full-bodied with soft tannins and a ripe yet vibrant and juicy fruit core. Long, warming finish. Drinkable now, but better in a few years.

Organic / Biodynamic

96 points Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard is fabulous. It emerges from a terraced vineyard at 1,800 feet in elevation in Napa Valley, just above the Coombsville AVA. Rich, dark and beautifully structured, the 2021 possesses notable pedigree and character. Black cherry, plum, gravel, licorice, bay leaf and espresso all race across the palate. Readers who enjoy old-school Napa Cabernets will adore this. This wine, if sold in Napa Valley, would cost four to five times as much. Don't miss it! I was super impressed with the wines I tasted from Ma??tre de Chai. Marty Winters and Alex Pitts met as young chefs working in some of California?€?s most prestigious kitchens. Over the years, both of their career paths led to wine. Winters and Pitts founded Ma??tre de Chai in 2012 and have quietly built their range since then. The wines draw from a number of sites across several appellations in northern California, all done in a style that emphasizes freshness and verve. As readers will discover, a number of wines in this lineup are truly compelling, most notably the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard, which may very well be the single best value in Napa Valley Cabernet today.

Winemaker Notes:
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were carefully destemmed and transferred to upright tanks for a two-day cold soak. The wine saw 15 to 20 days of maceration time and was pumped over two to three times daily to build its round, elegant mouthfeel. Each lot was aged and evaluated separately, with the final blend taking place in May 2019. In total, the wine aged for 16 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels (29% new).

This is a blend of 40% Malbec, 27% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and smaller amounts of Mourvedre, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Together, they work to offer inviting elements of baking spice, cherry vanilla and a creamy palate of integrated tannins and toasted oak. The fleshy, lush feel benefits from a fresh backbone of acidity.