Anakota 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Helena Dakota, Knights Valley
Item Number: 13 20 327 18
Anakota 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Helena Dakota, Knights Valley
Rare Single Vineyard Cabernet from an exclusive Knight's Valley site.
Quick Taste
- 99 Points!
- Pierre Seillan, 100 point winemaker!
- "on par with the finest Bordeaux blends coming out of California today."
- "finishing very long and achingly fragrant. Wow."
- "concentrated and dense, with a massive core"
About Anakota 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Helena Dakota, Knights Valley
Back in the late 1990s, the Jackson Family team started exploring new locations to grow Grand Cru-level Cabernet Sauvignon. Their goal was to find a site that could deliver the opulence and concentration of Napa coupled with the acidity, precision and age-worthiness of Sonoma. They found the perfect site in the Knights Valley AVA, a little-known wine region that earned AVA status in 1983. They named the ranch Anakota and in 1997 began surveying the terrain, analyzing the soils and planting vines.
Today, under the direction of Vigneron Pierre Seillan, they produce small quantities of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from two hillside estate vineyards: Helena Dakota and Helena Montana. Over his half-century of winemaking, Pierre has developed and refined his proprietary “micro-cru” farming/winemaking principles. Based on experience, observation, experimentation and intuition, this system considers that every vineyard is an intricate patchwork of soils, microclimates, exposures and elevations. Rather than treat each site as a single entity, Pierre divides each property into small blocks and sub-blocks. These vineyards-within-vineyards – often as small as one acre – are designed to mirror the subtle changes in the soils, terrain and microclimates. These micro-crus are farmed individually to ensure uniformly ripe grapes that bear the message of the soil. Each micro-cru is harvested and vinified separately. Two wines vinified from identical clones and rootstocks, but originating in radically different micro-crus, will produce radically different wines.
The Helena Dakota Vineyard is a sloping, 12-acre vineyard that runs southeast to northwest at roughly 750 feet above sea level. It features soft, reddish brown, gravelly, silt loam soils speckled with rocks. Prevailing westerly winds blow over a large pond and continue uphill parallel to the rows of vines. These cooling breezes slow the ripening process creating wines that are both powerful and balanced with red fruit flavors, notable minerality and graceful tannins. Pierre says the Cabernet from Helena Dakota reminds him of Pauillac or Saint-Estèphe.
This 2018 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine aged for 13 months in 90% new French oak barrels.
The Wine Advocate scored this 99 points saying "Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard was aged for 12 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has a profound yet slightly broody nose to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal wonderfully fragrant notes of wild blueberries, black cherries, dark chocolate and warm cassis, followed by nuances of garrigue, violets, tar and licorice plus a touch of wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has gorgeous velvety tannins and finely knit freshness supporting generous black and blue fruits, finishing very long and achingly fragrant. Wow."
Jeb Dunnuck scored this 98+ saying "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard is even more concentrated and dense, with a massive core of ripe blackcurrants, crushed stone, leather, tobacco, spicy oak, and graphite, and it has this burning ember-like character that reminds me of a great Hermitage. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has remarkable balance, ultra-fine tannins, a great spine of acidity, and one heck of a finish. As with the Helena Montana Vineyard, it's a baby that needs at least 4-5 years of bottle age and will have 30+ years of longevity. It's on par with the finest Bordeaux blends coming out of California today."
James Suckling scored this 97 points saying "Blueberry and blackberry with pine-cone and violet undertones. Blackcurrants, too. Full-bodied with very chewy yet fine tannins and a long, long finish. Gravel and stone undertones at the end. Velvety texture. Drink in 2023 and onwards." Limited!!!
Today, under the direction of Vigneron Pierre Seillan, they produce small quantities of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from two hillside estate vineyards: Helena Dakota and Helena Montana. Over his half-century of winemaking, Pierre has developed and refined his proprietary “micro-cru” farming/winemaking principles. Based on experience, observation, experimentation and intuition, this system considers that every vineyard is an intricate patchwork of soils, microclimates, exposures and elevations. Rather than treat each site as a single entity, Pierre divides each property into small blocks and sub-blocks. These vineyards-within-vineyards – often as small as one acre – are designed to mirror the subtle changes in the soils, terrain and microclimates. These micro-crus are farmed individually to ensure uniformly ripe grapes that bear the message of the soil. Each micro-cru is harvested and vinified separately. Two wines vinified from identical clones and rootstocks, but originating in radically different micro-crus, will produce radically different wines.
The Helena Dakota Vineyard is a sloping, 12-acre vineyard that runs southeast to northwest at roughly 750 feet above sea level. It features soft, reddish brown, gravelly, silt loam soils speckled with rocks. Prevailing westerly winds blow over a large pond and continue uphill parallel to the rows of vines. These cooling breezes slow the ripening process creating wines that are both powerful and balanced with red fruit flavors, notable minerality and graceful tannins. Pierre says the Cabernet from Helena Dakota reminds him of Pauillac or Saint-Estèphe.
This 2018 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine aged for 13 months in 90% new French oak barrels.
The Wine Advocate scored this 99 points saying "Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard was aged for 12 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has a profound yet slightly broody nose to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal wonderfully fragrant notes of wild blueberries, black cherries, dark chocolate and warm cassis, followed by nuances of garrigue, violets, tar and licorice plus a touch of wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has gorgeous velvety tannins and finely knit freshness supporting generous black and blue fruits, finishing very long and achingly fragrant. Wow."
Jeb Dunnuck scored this 98+ saying "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard is even more concentrated and dense, with a massive core of ripe blackcurrants, crushed stone, leather, tobacco, spicy oak, and graphite, and it has this burning ember-like character that reminds me of a great Hermitage. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has remarkable balance, ultra-fine tannins, a great spine of acidity, and one heck of a finish. As with the Helena Montana Vineyard, it's a baby that needs at least 4-5 years of bottle age and will have 30+ years of longevity. It's on par with the finest Bordeaux blends coming out of California today."
James Suckling scored this 97 points saying "Blueberry and blackberry with pine-cone and violet undertones. Blackcurrants, too. Full-bodied with very chewy yet fine tannins and a long, long finish. Gravel and stone undertones at the end. Velvety texture. Drink in 2023 and onwards." Limited!!!
Wine Details
- Alcohol % 14.5%
- Bottle Size 750 ml
- Wine Type Red
- Country United States
- Region California
- Appellation Sonoma
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