Cain Concept The Benchland Blend

Cain Concept—The Benchland is vinified and aged exactly like the Cain Five, but the core of this wine is Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the classical “benchlands” that have defined the greatness of the Napa Valley for more than 100 years. Naturally, in the “Cain Way,” we blend in the sister varieties to build complexity, to add nuance, to articulate the structure, and to draw the wine to a satisfying finish.

The 2014 Cain Concept—The Benchland seems to be our purest expression yet of the potential of the great vineyard sites of the Napa Valley. Breathtakingly pure of fruit, it is extremely fresh and not at all overripe. Nonetheless, it still possesses that indefinable, ‘je ne sais quois’ complexity of a natural fermentation. A deep purple color presages an unusual association of black cherries and raspberries on the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky smooth and satisfyingly mouthfilling—again, without being at all cloying. There’s a lovely touch of bitterness to the finish, which is refreshingly and delightfully clean. This vintage is about two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, and three-quarters Rutherford, grown in some of the very best sites on both the east and west sides of the valley. This is complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown in the cooler, clayier soils of Carneros—undoubtedly a key to complexity of this wine. One hundred percent Cain. What would the Cain Five taste like if it were grown in the more classical famous vineyards of the Napa Valley—the Rutherford Bench, for example? Cain Concept—The Benchland is our answer. Made sideby-side with the Cain Five, simply grown on the valley floor—some of the very best spots in the valley, I might add—the Cain Concept shares all the subtlety and grace of the Cain Five, and what it may lack in the idiosyncratic personality of the Cain Five, it more than makes up in generosity of fruit. Many people have said that 2014 was the third great vintage in a row for the Napa Valley. Tasting this wine today, I would have to agree. Drinking beautifully now, it will surely continue to do so for the next twenty years. Today it wants a steak, the classical pairing for ‘Napa Cab.’ Simply grilled, a point, with a few herbs please.