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Locanda Estate feels less like a winery and more like a hidden hillside refuge where California sunshine meets old-world ambition. Founded in 2012 by Dr. Joe Cleaver after a life in medicine and a sojourn in Italy, the estate was born from his dream of living the Mediterranean lifestyle in Sonoma Valley and making truly exceptional wine.

With winemaker Brian Graham—training in Bordeaux and Burgundy—at the helm, the six-acre, shielded, hillside vineyard crafts micro-production wines that merge European precision with Californian richness. Free-range sheep graze among the vines, and the result is luxurious, intensely expressive bottles made in tiny quantities, designed for people who love discovering something rare before the rest of the world catches on.

Drawing from the legendary Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, this 2021 Locanda Cabernet Sauvignon is ultra-small-scale (only ~100 cases) and offers the hallmark deep garnet hue, intense black-currant and dark-plum fruit, crushed sage and rocky minerality, with a structure built to cellar 15+ years.

The 2021 vintage will be remembered for its small berries and clusters, resulting in intensely-flavored, smooth, and great tannin-structured wines. The season started with very little rain, which had become an unwelcome trend over the last few years. The spring and summer were fairly uneventful with our trademark cool mornings, warm afternoons, and cool evenings. The vineyards produced fruit of amazing quality, resulting in a stellar vintage that will be admired for a couple of decades to come

100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This Cabernet pours a deep garnet-ruby and swings open with a rich aroma of black currant, wild blackberry compote, and hints of dark cherry, intertwined with cedar chest, graphite dust, and a whisper of tobacco leaf.

On the palate, it delivers full-bodied power, layered with dense black fruit, a trace of cassis and juicy red plum, lifted by cool mountain-herb notes (think crushed sage and bay leaf) and edged in warm baking spice. 

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer GIII Vineyard Block has a deep garnet-purple color, leaping from the glass with vibrant notes of red currant jelly, fresh blueberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of wild sage, crushed rocks, and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate is filled with energetic black and red berry flavors, supported by finely grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with great length and a skip in its step." ~ 94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

A solid step up over the 2020, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard brings more red and black fruits, spicy oak, and dried herb aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, has beautiful purity, ripe, polished tannins, and outstanding length. It picks up some classic Rutherford dusty earth and chocolate notes with air. It will keep for 10-15 years. ~ 92 Jeb Dunnuck 

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