Ripe black currant, spearmint leaf, blackberry reduction. Cherry liqueur, shaved graphite, blueberry crisp. Eucalyptus and roasted pepper, cardamom and chocolate covered violet. Seriously sophisticated dark fruit and cassis rides a wave of clean pyrazines accented by crushed gravel and vanilla. Full bodied with pixelated tannin and righteously balanced acidity. This 2015 "The Paint of Moonlight" Pelkan Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon by Chiron Wines is a stately Bordeaux beauty from Knights Valley.

The Knights Valley appellation is the easternmost wine growing zone in Sonoma County California. It sits just west of Calistoga and is actually almost a natural extension of the Napa Valley. The Mayacamas mountain range runs through this region and brings with it uniquely turbulent heavily volcanic soils. This bottling, crafted by Chiron Wines, was creating using 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Pelkan Ranch Vineyard which sits high atop the Mayacamas range. The high elevation of this site moderates temperatures which increases structure and restraint in the finished wine. While still certainly fruit driven this wine projects deeply complex soil tones of silver and black earth along with heady herbaceous notes. New oak treatment sans massively heavy toast has aided in tannin management without turning things sweet, dense, or sappy. Drinking well already but adequately built for cellaring this stuff will give anything from Napa more than a run for its money.