2015 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - Optima Winery

Tart black currant, eucalyptus leaf, muddled raspberry. Dried blackberry, dehydrated violet, Damson plum skin. Roasted pepper and aged wood, crushed clove and ground nutmeg. Dark cherry and black licorice lead an angsty and assertive attack twitching with nervous and unbridled fruit-focused energy. Whole peppercorn, paprika, and cinnamon attempt to spice and soften the deep and brooding onslaught but fail to overcome pure primary power. Coarse volcanic earth and an interesting streak of minerality writhe underneath the tense ferocity, which is still many years from beginning to blossom and unfurl. Full bodied, high in tannin, and quite assertive in its acidity; considerably tart, dry, young, and structured. This 2015 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon by Optima Winery is a boisterous and booming high quality Cabernet from Sonoma.

Knights Valley is an interesting warm climate growing zone that rides the borderline between northeastern Sonoma and the Napa Valley. Its volcanic soils and dry climate are capable of producing world class Bordeaux style wines that can compete with any of the more famous nearby regions. This bottling, crafted by Optima Winery using Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Knights Valley, is an impressive example of the sheer energy this region is capable of. This wine is Cabernet Sauvignon in its most intense and heightened form, forgoing finesse in pursuit of brute strength. It is not round, flabby, or over-oaked in the slightest yet its massive spirit is palpable in a way almost reminiscent of Petite Sirah. This is an excellent candidate for a decade or two of cellaring to watch its youthful exuberance transform into more graceful maturity.