HARVEST NOTES:
Vineyard Manager Michael Wolf:

• 2019 marked a welcome return to generous rainfall. Rutherford received over 45″ of rain, compared to 24″ in 2018.
• The very cold, wet winter led to budbreak being a couple of weeks later than in 2018. A defining event was significant rain in mid-May.
• June was a time to try to catch up with runaway canopies and weed growth, but in spite of the unfavorable weather during bloom, the crop appeared to be normal.
• Temperatures remained mild, and the vines continued to grow until they were finally slowed down by several August heat waves.
• Phenology moved forward rapidly, with a quick and even period of veraison.
• There were several unusually cold nights in September, helping the fruit to retain its freshness and acidity.
• Harvest began with the “Old Men” in the early morning hours of September 25th, along with another non-irrigated block containing the Cohn clone on St. George rootstock—the same combination as the Old Men.
• Harvest proceeded at a measured pace through the month of October, with different parts of the vineyard all being harvested separately at optimal maturity.
• Yields were above average, and harvest was completed on October 21st.

TASTING NOTES:
Winemaker Celia Welch writes of the 2019 M.Étain:

"Aromatically, this fresh, bright Cabernet blend shows a plethora of red fruit notes; cranberry, plum, raspberry jam, cherry cordial, even a touch of pomegranate, along with more subtle tones of clove, vanilla, pipe tobacco, and mahogany. On the palate, the entry is full and broad, showing tannins that are approachable now but will soften with age.

Completely crafted from grapes grown on the J. J. Cohn Estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley, the fruit for this wine was harvested by hand between October 12 and 21, 2019. The fruit was destemmed, sorted, and fermented in small stainless-steel tanks prior to being aged in French oak barrels (75% new) for a total of 17 months. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration. This blend contains 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. 2700 cases were bottled in April, 2021."

Reviews:

95pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2019 M. Étain is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with notes of violets, fallen leaves and incense over a warm cassis and plum preserves core, plus a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied, the ripe, opulent black fruit preserve flavors are beautifully framed by firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and seductively spicy. (LPB)"