Jericho Canyon · Lot 17 · Calistoga
Cabernet Sauvignon blend
The Jericho Canyon Cabernet method continued with barrel fermentation, two years in new French oak, and a six-month finish with a small Merlot–Cabernet Franc blend.
Wine highlights
01 / Progress
The wine,
step by step.
- FruitCalistoga
Jericho Canyon Cabernet
The Cabernet came from the Calistoga-area Jericho Canyon source used in several earlier GAEA vintages.
- Élevage24 months
New French oak
The wine was fermented and aged in new French oak for two years.
- Finish5%
A five-percent Bordeaux-variety blend
A 5% finishing blend—40% Merlot and 60% Cabernet Franc—rested with the wine for six months before bottling.
- EvaluationFavorable
Bottle age shows its value
Judges found blackberry, bramble, good tannin, medium structure, appealing length, and a long finish.
02 / Tasting record · California State Fair judging
“Black fruit, bramble, and a long finish.”
The mature 2020 Cabernet showed how additional bottle age could benefit the cellar’s structured reds. Judges repeatedly found appealing length and sound tannin.
Wine profile
- Fruit
- Blackberry and bramble
- Structure
- Good tannin · medium frame
- Finish
- Long and appealing
03 / Notes
What stays
in the record.
Blend record
The finishing 5% was itself a blend of 40% Merlot and 60% Cabernet Franc. It remained with the Cabernet for six months before bottling.
What the judges confirmed
The 2020’s blackberry, bramble, good tannin, and long finish suggest that patient bottle age helped the wine reach a more complete and approachable stage.