2022 Cabernet Sauvignon

This is another fine set of new releases from Cornell and winemaker Elizabeth Tangney. The 2022 harvest took place from September 1 to 10. In tasting, what strikes me most about the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is how much it retains its essential personality, even in a challenging and dramatic vintage. In its current incarnation, Cornell is a young estate, so reaching any conclusions is premature. That said, the ability of a vineyard to produce high-quality wines in all sorts of vintages is one of the attributes shared by the world’s most elite vineyards. Barrel samples of the embryonic 2023s are also promising. Readers who appreciate mountain Cabernets made in a style that prizes finesse more than sheer power will adore these wines.

This is another impressive set of new releases from Cornell and winemaker Elizabeth Tangney. The property lies adjacent to Pride, on the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, an area that is truly magical for Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021s are statuesque, vibrant wines that beautifully capture the energy of the year. Readers will see that immediately in Courtship, a second wine that overachieves. I was also quite struck by the 2022, which appears to have serious potential. As alluring as these wines can be young, they really only blossom with a few years in the cellar, something I saw once again with a recent bottle of the 2018 that was positively stellar.