I got an email today with a new wine release from Dakota Shy. Does anyone know anything about this wine? Thanks! I copied below a description from the winemaker.
Artist Series - Vol II
2017 Zen Master Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2017 Zen Master Cabernet Sauvignon is the second bottling in our Artist Series, following upon the exceptional 2016 Next Chapter. A must-have each vintage, this collectible series tells a story through the label artwork. Although the label will change each vintage, the wine will continue to be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a remarkable single-vineyard in the eastern hills of St. Helena. The Artist Series release is separate from Dakota Shy’s annual Spring allocation.
“Charms with seductive aromas of blackberries, dark cherry, bittersweet chocolate and subtle herbs. The palate surpasses the aromatic expectations, revealing gorgeous layers of dark fruit flavors, mocha, minerals and baking spice, all carried on a super plush, silky frame. This wine has a superb sense of purity and detail which is remarkable given its opulence and power. Wonderfully textured with an incredibly long, vibrant finish and polished tannins. Phenomenal. Drink 2020-2040.”
Tom Garrett - Winemaker
I’m a relatively big fan of Tom’s wines as well. I first got to try their Cabernet earlier this year and found it to have great QPR. What puzzles me is how fast they strive to develop and make new wines that I can’t keep up!
Btw, do we have any clue which vineyard they are referring to as a “single-vineyard in the eastern hills of St. Helena”?
Thanks for the note on the Zen Master! I just wanted to respond to comments about the “secret” vineyard and our various bottlings.
When Todd and I started Dakota Shy, our initial goal was to make an outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet composed of vineyards across Napa’s AVAs that would also be value (sub-$100). As Todd says, under-promise and over-deliver. We were looking for a diversity of sites so that we could build complexity into the Cab simply by sourcing from great vineyards from different soil types, elevations, exposures, etc. We also liked the idea of a wine that is a snapshot of the Napa Valley vintage as a whole – and a way of spreading the risk with certain vineyards performing better in hot years vs cold years, etc.
Over the years we’ve assembled what I think is a pretty incredible portfolio of sites, 16 different vineyards in all, ranging from Oak Knoll to Calistoga – valley floor, hillside and pretty much every AVA. Some are as little as 2 tons – some as much as 10 tons. It is really fun for me because I get to work with fantastic sites, vineyard managers and growers all over the valley.
Most of those 16 vineyards go into the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauv blend – but along the way I have wanted to hold out some percentage of the most unique sites to bottle as single vineyard wines – just because the wines were so good and so distinct. And pretty much every vintage there has been a site that I felt we had to showcase. So, I am largely at fault for all of the different bottlings.
A few of the vineyards, in particular those for Atlas and the Artist series (2016 was Next Chapter, 2017 is Zen Master), are single vineyard wines but the vineyard owner has requested that we not use the name of the vineyard/family to identify the wine. So we’ve used proprietary names instead. Then we have others like Melanson, Moulds and Oakville Ranch, where the owners actively want their names on the label and we are happy to do so in recognition of the exceptional work they are doing as farmers.
Anyhow, we’re not trying to keep anyone guessing about the vineyards we are using – but there are some that we have agreed not to use their names in any marketing related way. If you want to come visit the winery I’ll happily pour you a glass and talk in more detail – as long as you keep it quiet too…
Thanks for your support and interest in our wines!