Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mtn. 2022

100 Points | D
“The Lokoya Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from two estate-owned vineyards: the 10-hectare Yverdon Vineyard, perched at 640 meters, and the 18-hectare Wurtele Vineyard, located around 304 meters. These vineyards are planted on ancient, ocean-bottom sedimentary soils that lend a distinct mineral character to the wines. In 2022, this wine is exceptional. As a professional taster, you'd be hard-pressed to detect that the vintage was marked by heat challenges. The nose is fresh, bright, vivid—absolutely enticing—with remarkable layers of minerality running from graphite and underbrush to wet river stones and slate. Subtle incense notes weave through sun-soaked wild herbs, sagebrush, and a whisper of white pepper. On the palate, the wine is rich, full-bodied, and deeply layered, offering a cascade of dark black and red cherry fruit, spiced plums, and juicy yet firmly structured intensity. The tannins grip like an iron claw before resolving with aromatic lift, balance, and a sense of poise that anchors the finish. It’s polished, powerful, and clearly built for the long haul—yet astonishingly drinkable now, in all its youthful energy. A true reward for early drinkers and patient collectors alike. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes that Spring Mountain sits within the warmest of Napa Valley’s mountain AVAs, where tannins are typically softer, pH levels slightly higher, and acidity more savoury. Lokoya, owned by the Jackson Family, focuses exclusively on single-appellation, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines from four mountain AVAs: Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, and Mount Veeder. The winemaking is identical across all four wines—native yeast fermentations, hand pump-overs, malolactic fermentation in barrel, and ageing for 22 months in 82% new French oak. What distinguishes each wine is not style, but terroir. Carpenter believes Napa Valley Cabernet is defined not just by soil, but by the daily Pacific breezes that sweep the region—cooling from south to north in the evenings, and from north to south in the mornings. At high elevations, above the fog line, these mountain vineyards experience gentler diurnal shifts, offering a climatic equilibrium that allows for slow, even ripening. It’s this interplay of sun, soil, and wind that shapes the identity—and brilliance—of Lokoya’s mountain-grown Cabernets.” - Decanter