2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Layne Vineyard, 750ml, 14.8%

As a winemaker at Troon Vineyard from 2004-2013, I learned a lot about the nature of wine, the importance of site, and all the challenges involved in making quality wines with a sense of place.

In 2004 we harvested a total of 24 tons, of which about 4 were Cabernet Sauvignon from the Layne Vineyard. Later that year, after the wine was made and in barrel, my father came up and tasted with me through the winery. He was generally impressed, and particularly intrigued by the Layne Cab. “It reminds me of wines from Old Napa” he said, “before they started making them so damn hot.”

Over the succeeding vintages, the Layne Cab was always the “holy grail” of wine lots. I was always seeking something within that lot, but it remained elusive. Charged by the management with making ripe, rich Cabs, the Layne lot was naturally high acid, dense, and broody. No matter what I tried to do, how long I waited, it seemed to stand against the Napa style, old enough and comfortable enough in its own skins to express itself as is.

In 2015, now a proper grown up, with my own winery and budget, I resolved to let the Layne Cab make itself in the style that suited it best. This bottling is a throw back, a nod to the nostalgic who aren’t opposed to drinking Cabernet Sauvignon that actually tastes like the grape. At just 37 cases, there isn’t much to go around, which is probably a good thing, since there are only a very special few who I trust will appreciate this wine for what it is-classic.