2017 Caterwaul Cabernet Sauvignon

JD95 More cassis, violets, and flowers emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Regusci Vineyard, which has a more focused, ageworthy, elegant style. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully textured as well as balanced, it has remarkably polished, sweet tannins, which can be hard to find in the 2017 vintage. Drink it any time over the coming 15 years or so.
Caterwaul was conceived in 2014 by Thomas Rivers Brown and Matt Hardin along with Matt’s wife Alicia (Regusci) Hardin. The story goes that Thomas and Matt met at Regusci winery and rode around each block looking for what they considered to be the best on the ranch focusing on a section of “Block 3” where volcanic rock from the Vaca Range mixes with the alluvial soils deposited from the Napa River, and more specifically the center of Block 3 where a section of 15 year old Cabernet clone 15 was planted. This near forgotten clone was reported to originate in Bordeaux and is known for amazingly low yields. The original vintages of Caterwaul were only from these vines where 6 barrels were made.