Young Inglewood, VENN, Cabernet Sauvignon
Young Inglewood, VENN, Cabernet Sauvignon

Young Inglewood, VENN, Cabernet Sauvignon

California, United States 2018 (750mL)
Regular price$45.00
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Fruit
Earth
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Alcohol

Young Inglewood, VENN, Cabernet Sauvignon

VENN Wine Co. is a true family affair, formed in 2013 by the mother/son winemaking team at SAINT Helena’s Young Inglewood. Jacky and Scott Young build on their work there, crafting traditionally made wines, yet showcasing the abundant fruit California is known for, all with an eye towards early drinking. Like their flagship line, VENN offers wines sourced solely from impeccably grown organic vineyard sources, with native-yeast ferments and low-intervention work in the cellar. The idea was simple in its conception: “Purity and liveliness are the aim,” writes the duo. 


The Youngs’ lineup has grown slowly over the years, until it solidified last year. Not surprisingly, the top wines are largely drawn from their organically farmed 14-acre estate vineyard in the benchlands of St. Helena, which has had vines planted continuously in the rocky gravelly loam since the 1870s, and has had just four owners in that time. Currently, it houses a blend of mature Bordelais varieties, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, bordered by 150-year-old oak and olive trees. Reds are supplemented with fruit from the neighboring “Dos a Dos” vineyard, which edges Rutherford, bringing duskier red fruit to the mix.


This 2018 Cabernet is a mix of both these vineyards and a harmonious, restrained vintage has set the perfect stage for the wine to flaunt its pedigree and a classic style meant to evoke Napa’s Golden Age. Bordeaux enthusiasts will likewise be thrilled with this bottle, which, while fruit-forward, has a savory edge—herb-tinged and underscored with earthy notes. Cabernet Sauvignon (87%) is certainly dominant, offering cassis and black cherry fruits, while smaller dollops of Merlot (5%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Malbec (1%), and Petit Verdot (2%) brighten the mix, adding more red fruit and spice. Grapes were picked over a four-week period and were committed to a further 3-4 weeks native fermentation on the skins in stainless tanks. Aromatics are pure and fresh, thanks to minimal sulfur use. On the palate, the dark berry fruits integrate throughout with spice, cocoa, and coffee. Smooth, fine-grained tannins from a 20-month élevage in French Oak (20% new) bring balance to the wine and frame the plush texture in addition to the juicy acidity. At 14.3% alcohol, it treads a fine line, delivering a rich yet poised rendition of a California (and French) favorite. Grab some of the scant 400-case production to drink with abandon now and for mid-term cellaring.

Young Inglewood, VENN, Cabernet Sauvignon
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United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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