Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon 'Helena Montana Vineyard' 2017

Lush, velvety, and opulent, Helena Montana chronicles the terroir at this steep Knights Valley hillside site. The signature attributes include blackberries, currants, violets, chocolate, spice, and licorice. The palate offers deep, expansive flavours supported by soft, silky tannins. While Helena Montana typically shows well in its youth, it is a wine that will expand and improve with age.

The 2017 growing season was defined by plentiful rain in the winter, followed by mild conditions in spring and summer. To preserve the natural acidity in the grapes, picking began early on September 6th in the Helena, Montana vineyard. The wines were resting in barrels prior to the Sonoma County Tubbs fire in October, therefore, remained unaffected by any smoke taint. The 2017 Helena Montana wine possesses a deep-purple core with soft violet hues. Reminiscent of a young Bordeaux, aromatic flavours of fresh raspberry, black cherry and dried bay leaf are framed by French oak-derived nuances of toasted cardamom and vanilla. Well-structured and full-bodied, the wine offers brilliant acidity and refined tannins bringing levity, focus and balance to the long, elegant finish.

96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Fruit for this was harvested on September 8th, and the wine was bottled six months ago. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard gives up exuberant notions of warm blueberries, crème de cassis, lilacs and chocolate box with hints of fertile loam, licorice and menthol. Medium-bodied, elegant, very fresh and juicy, the palate has beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and perfumed.