86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 4% Malbec

Food pairings: Aged cheddar, grilled beef filet with potato gratin, Moroccan spiced lamb and grilled steak.

Winemaking: The grapes were picked selectively, harvesting the afternoon (south-facing) side of the vines several days before the north-facing side to get the best fruit. After gentle destemming and hand sorting, the berries had a two-day cold soak before a warm fermentation to dryness. The wine was pressed, then racked to barrels for malolactic fermentation and 16 months of aging in French and Hungarian oak, 50% new. Several blending trials picked the best of the Cabernet blocks, with Merlot and Malbec added for richness.

Vineyards and terroir: Cherryblock is Sebastiani's flagship wine, named for its estate vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, where most of the fruit comes from the original Old Vines block of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1961, rounded out by younger estate Cabernet and Merlot vines. The 2021 season was the second drought year in Sonoma, with a compact harvest and low yields of small, intensely flavored berries.

Family and history: Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma has been "a Sonoma tradition since 1904," as the Cherryblock label says. The goal of Cherryblock is a benchmark Cabernet with the elegance, structure and terroir-driven aromatics found only in this vineyard.

In the pictures: The Cherryblock vineyard in autumn color (courtesy of Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery).