The Forbidden Trail Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Full-bodied red wine · The Forbidden Trail Winery, a boutique-style label crafting limited-production wines from premier Napa Valley appellations, focusing on bold expression and adventurous branding.
Vintage: 2022
Type
Full-bodied red wine
Producer
The Forbidden Trail Winery, a boutique-style label crafting limited-production wines from premier Napa Valley appellations, focusing on bold expression and adventurous branding.
Country
United States
Vintage
2022
Region & Appellation
Napa Valley, Rutherford AVA, California, United States
Grape Varieties
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, showcasing classic Rutherford Dust characteristics, rich dark fruit, and structured tannins.
Color & Appearance
Deep, opaque ruby-purple core with a narrow vibrant rim, indicating high extract and youthfulness.
Aroma Profile
Intense aromas of ripe black cherry, cassis, and blackberry, complemented by secondary and tertiary notes of baking spices, sweet tobacco, integrated French oak, and a touch of graphite.
Tasting Notes
A powerful and commanding entry on the palate with layers of dark berry fruit, velvety texture, and a long, warming finish supported by structured yet fine-grained tannins.
Flavor Profile
Prominent flavors of black currant, ripe plum, and blackberry intertwined with savory mocha, espresso bean, cedarwood, and a distinct herbal mint nuance.
Body & Texture
Full-bodied with a rich, plush, and velvety mouthfeel, showing impressive concentration and extract.
Acidity & Tannins
Medium-plus acidity providing freshness to balance the rich fruit profile, accompanied by ripe, firm, yet fine-grained Rutherford tannins typical of the AVA's iconic dust.
Sweetness Level
Dry, with less than 2 g/L of residual sugar.
Alcohol Content
14.2% by volume
Aging & Oak
Aged for 18 to 24 months in French oak barrels, a significant portion being new oak, imparting complex layers of vanilla, toast, and spice.
Food Pairings
Ideal with prime ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb, braised short ribs, or hard aged cheeses like sharp white cheddar and aged gouda.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at 60-65°F in a large Bordeaux glass. Decant for 1 to 2 hours prior to drinking to fully unlock its aromatic complexity.
Price Range
Estimated retail price between $45 and $75 per bottle.
Quality Assessment
Super-premium tier Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, offering excellent depth and structure for enthusiasts of bold California reds.
Production Methods
Hand-harvested fruit, destemmed and sorted meticulously, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with extended maceration, followed by barrel aging.
Terroir
The Rutherford AVA is famed for its unique gravelly loam soils, known locally as 'Rutherford Dust,' which imparts an unmistakable cocoa and fine-dust tannin quality to Cabernet Sauvignon.
History & Heritage
Crafted as part of a modern series of Napa Valley wines designed to explore exceptional vineyard parcels and celebrate the adventurous spirit of winemaking.
Interesting Facts
The label features an evocative narrative and a subtle debossed logo highlighting the theme of exploration and undiscovered trails.
Cellaring Potential
Approachable now with decanting, but has the structure and core fruit concentration to age gracefully over the next 8 to 12 years.
Similar Wines
Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis, Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.