2019 Rivers Marie - Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard captures all the magic of this site. The aromatics alone are so seductive. Blood orange, tobacco, menthol, licorice and spice lend tons of nuance as this potent, muscular Cabernet opens in the glass. A wine of vertical lift, the Lamb Cabernet is exquisitely beautiful. Sadly, this will be the last vintage for at least a few years, as the fires of 2021 wiped out the entire vineyard along with Jennifer Lamb's stunning home. In what may be a very strange turn of fate, Herb Lamb may turn out to be an even better vineyard once it is redeveloped, as portions that were once shaded and hard to ripen will no longer feel the influence of trees that once surrounded those blocks. (AG)

The Herb Lamb Vineyard was lost in the fires of 2020, so this will be the last vintage of the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard. As with the Oakville Terraces release, it's a borderline perfect wine that has a captivating bouquet of cassis, blackberries, charcoal, lead pencil shavings, and even a hint of menthol. With full-bodied richness and depth, a concentrated, structured, yet seamless mouthfeel, and one great finish, it's another incredible wine from the team at Rivers-Marie. As with most 2019s, it has up-front appeal, yet my money is on a solid two decades of development.

A terrific effort from the last vintage prior to the vineyard burning in 2020, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard boasts scents of mint and bay leaf set against a backdrop of vibrant red berries. This is full-bodied and firmly tannic, tightly wound but with ample concentration and a long, mouthwatering finish.