Ranchos de Ontiveros Cabernet Sauvignon
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Ranchos de Ontiveros Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Riata Oaks Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley.
- It is farmed by James Ontiveros and the winemaker is Justin Willett.
- The vineyard is part of the Cañada de los Pinos land grant.
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Elaboration: The soils are BbC, Ballard gravelly fine sandy loam on 2-9% slopes. The grapes are destemmed. Primary fermentation takes place 75% new French oak for 22 months prior to release.
Tasting Notes:
“Bottle age has given this 2016 an elegant sheen. With its notes of five-spice powder and black tea, it’s an idiosyncratic cabernet, yet stylish, with a firm and angular structure that needs slow-smoked beef to match.” —P.J.C., Wine & Spirit
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
In California’s Santa Maria Valley, Ranchos de Ontiveros produces small-lot estate wines that reflect the terroir and offer a true expression of the unique climate, soil, and capability of the valley.
This story begins in 1781 when Josef Ontiveros rode from Mexico to settle in California. He would become the first in a line of generations of California ranchers and farmers. Now, nine generations after his arrival, James Ontiveros is proud to grow and make wines of superb quality and complexity.
Both of the winery’s estate vineyards, Rancho Viñedo and Rancho Ontiveros, have a complex history and yield old-world-inspired wines. Only four miles apart, the soils of Rancho Viñedo are millions of years older than Rancho Ontiveros, and the old vines on their own roots are decades older. At 23, James planted Rancho Ontiveros on a windswept plot at an elevation of 700 feet. The unique soils and elevation led James to plant Pinot Noir, at the time, a risky and unconventional choice.