Denner Vineyards Mother of Exiles 2021

The Bordelaise bottlings excelled in this vintage for Denner, including this Cab-led blend, which also features 12% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Tannat. Intense aromas of blackberry, cocoa and dark flowers are impressively concentrated, as is the palate, where cassis and elderberry flavors meet with mint and pepper spices. Built to impress.

The Bordeaux blend in the lineup, the 2021 Mother Of Exiles is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petite Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Tannat that saw 60% new French oak. Cassis and darker berry notes, leafy herbs, tobacco, leather, and ample graphite notes all flow to a concentrated, textured Cabernet that has ample mid-palate depth, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It tastes like a hypothetical mix of a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pauillac.

The 2021 Mother Of Exiles is darkly floral with a bouquet of incense, pipe tobacco, sage and rum-soaked cherries. Youthfully dense and backward, it washes across the palate with an intense wave of tart red and black fruits, taking on a chewy sensation toward the close as a hint of bitter dark chocolate mounts. It finishes spicy and dramatically long, leaving a spicy sensation and firming tannins as a floral resonance lingers on.

A vibrant, fruity and structured cabernet-based wine that leads with red fruit like red cherries and cranberries underlain with bright acidity and moderate tannins. Includes 12% petit verdot, 4% cabernet franc and 3% tannat. Best from 2027.