WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
The Azzaro family's Pine Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon comes from one of California's most compelling — and least-known — mountain appellations: the Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak AVA, straddling the Mendocino-Sonoma county border at elevations approaching 2,600 feet. At that altitude, temperature inversions produce smaller, thick-skinned berries with concentrated flavors, softer tannins, and a depth of color rarely seen at valley-floor prices. The Azzaro family approached winemaking as a passion project — small production, labor-intensive farming, and a focus on letting the mountain site speak for itself. The 2018 vintage represents peak ripeness and structure from an excellent North Coast growing season, and at $45, this is the kind of discovery that rewards guests who look beyond familiar appellations.
TASTING NOTES
Deep color and expressive dark fruit — wild blackberries, plum, and black licorice — with the mineral spine and firm structure typical of high-altitude Cabernet. The nose shows cedar and concentrated berry; the palate is rich but focused, with intensity that comes from vine stress and elevation-driven concentration. Ready now, with years ahead.
Note: No confirmed critic score found for this bottling. Azzaro has limited critical coverage given the small-production nature of the project.