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Marietta Cellars

Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Yorkville Highlands, California

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The Yorkville Highlands are the mountain pass between the north end of Alexander Valley and the west end of Anderson Valley. From a high elevation site with coastal influence and large diurnal shifts, the Game Trail Cabernet offers an intense, fragrant, savory, and fresh style of Cabernet that speaks of site and demands to be paired with food. This area, with trails worn by mushroom hunters and wild game that travel through the woods, was a refuge for Chris Bilbro, who hunted here and searched for Chanterelles. The mushroom on the label is a tribute to this unique place and its purity and wildness.

The estate series from Marietta is made with terroir in mind above all else. For many years these sites were included in blends, though they routinely stood out as extraordinary. These wines are true expressions of unique sites, crafted with freshness, tension and longevity in mind.

Vineyard

The small block of Cabernet Sauvignon used for the Game Trail Cabernet is perched looking south from 1,400 feet elevation up on the ridge. Coastal influence and large diurnal swings create small berries, thick skins, deep pigmentation, and tons of structure. Clone 6 Cabernet sets sparingly with berries the size of blueberries and no fruit to fruit contact, so it is cane pruned and left to hang as many clusters as possible.

Winemaking

Fermented in stainless steel tanks and barrel aged in neutral French oak barrels for 20 months before bottling.

Vintage

2021’s extremely cold and dry winter coupled with a windy spring made for a lighter yielding crop and small berries. These tiny clusters and berries went through the mild growing season with accelerated ripeness and made for a darker more intense wine. Harvest happened a week early across all varietals. Flavors were riper, denser, and showcased more red fruit then other vintages. This was a stellar growing season and the resultant wines are fresh and bright now but are built to age gracefully.

Tasting Note

“With a dark, dusty, salty mix of carpaccio, sage, and thyme, this mountain Cabernet with coastal influences cranks up with nuance and tension. Inky mulberry stains the mouth followed by puckery intensity, with a silty, dense finish. Deep and clean, tasting is akin to diving into a shaded mineral swimming hole surrounded by craggy boulders and emerging refreshed, vibrating, and wildly awake.” – Scot Bilbro, Winemaker

Food Pairing

This wine begs for grilled asparagus, roasted mushrooms, and blistered tomatoes with boar collar or a rib roast.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation

Yorkville Highlands, California

Farming

The Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is made from 100% estate fruit, all of which is organically farmed

Alcohol

14.7%

Suggested Retail Price

$50

Reviews

93

"Fresh blackcurrants and cherries"

Wine Advocate - October 23, 2023 “The 2021 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon is crunchy, refreshing and easy to drink. It's scented of fresh blackcurrants and cherries, plus nuances of garrigue and charcuterie. The full-bodied palate is light on its feet with softly chalky tannins, bursts of mouthwatering acidity and a long, mineral-driven finish. You could drink this on its own or have it with medium-weight dishes at the table.”- E.B. 10/23

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Greene Goes Gaga for Game Trail Cabernet

June 22, 2023 - Josh Greene, editor of Wine & Spirits magazine has named Marietta Cellars’ “Game Trail” Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 his “Wine of the Week”.  His review is glowing and comprehensive, “Chris Bilbro…

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Marietta Cellars Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon Bottle Shot

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