I don't usually talk about wine sales, but this one is special.
I just got an email from K&L Wines, our local fine wine shop, regarding this wine. I visited this beautiful estates, planted by Phil Coturri, and can attest to its care and beauty. This wine is no longer being made. Probably a very, very good deal.
Italics mine.
2012 Cassata Estate "Utopium" Sonoma Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon (Previously $50) ($14.95)
"I don't remember a time I came across a more beautiful aged, classically styled Cabernet with this much interest and immaculate balance for such a ludicrously low price point."
— Ryan Woodhouse, K&L Domestic Wine Buyer
We just secured a library parcel from a tiny estate in Glen Ellen that flies well under the radar of critics and most wine drinkers.
Tom Cassata founded Cassata Sonoma Family Vineyard in 2002, where he farms [certified biodynamic in 2012] with his daughter, turning out a mere 1,500 cases annually.
The 2012 Utopmium has some serious creds as well—the wine is made by Jeff Baker (formerly of Mayacamas), and sourced from a vineyard next door to the famed Pagani Ranch [where they use a lot of herbicide]. [The organic Utopium site sits in its own bowl above the valley floor with its own water supply, which is why the owners bought it]. Domestic buyer Ryan Woodhouse once again worked his magic to secure a jaw-dropping price, making this an awesome opportunity to load up on a complex and dynamic aged Cab that's ready to delight on the daily.
Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 27, 2024
To be totally honest with you I had never heard of these wines before. However, after learning Jeff Baker made the wine, my interest was piqued. Jeff started his long career at the iconic Mayacamas Vineyards in the 1970s. He then made the wines at Carmenet on Moon Mountain for 20 years, and is now co-owner / winemaker at Stone Edge Farm with viticulturalist Phil Coturri. Cassata is a small, family-owned estate, on the eastern bench of Sonoma Valley...just outside the town of Glen Ellen. The vineyard was planted in the early 2000s and is farmed using organic and biodynamic methods.
A soon as I pulled the cork on the 2012 Utopium Cabernet I knew it was going to be a winner! It's an absolutely perfectly aged Cabernet, in the prime sweet spot for drinking. Complex development from 10+ years in bottle mean this wine is sitting right where the beautiful blackcurrant and elderberry fruit mingles with leather, spice box, tobacco leaf, dried porcini, graphite, turned earth. It still has lovely plush fruit and a suave texture on the mid-palate, but the secondary aromas and flavors are coming through beautifully. This could definitely pass for a 10-year-old, warmer vintage Bordeaux, or even a more restrained style of aged Napa Cab. I don't remember a time I came across a more beautiful aged, classically styled bottle of Cabernet with this much interest and immaculate balance for such a ludicrously low price point. Honestly, I've had many many far more expensive bottles from iconic estates across the world that don't offer anything more impressive than this little under the radar gem. This is a K&L sleeper for sure!
2012 Cassata Estate "Utopium" Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Previously $50) ($14.95)
Alexandre Tweedie | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 26, 2024
Insider subscribers, we're back with another late summer show stopping deal, this time bringing you a bottling of beautifully mature Sonoma Valley Cabernet! Between the towns of Kenwood and Glen Ellen lies Cassata Estate, a winery that has been crafting tried and true expressions of soulful Sonoma for several vintages, and recently offered us this phenomenal back-vintage library release from their 2012 vintage.
Far below market price, this Cabernet is over delivering in every sense of the term a savory nose of warm saddle leather, gently stewed blackberry and plum, with mature edges of sous bois leaning towards autumnal leaves and white truffle. The palate is lined with slight dusty tannin, complimenting the developed fruit of the palate, with more forest fruit and savor into the finish. If you're looking for a California Cabernet that is fully into its proper drinking window, look no further than Cassata Estate's Utopium, and look no further than this amazing one-time price!
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