2021 Tira Nanza, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Carmel Valley AVA, Monterey County.
One of Monterey’s youngest family estates, Carmel Valley’s Tira Nanza is a small organic winery that is located on the old Galante Ranch in the historic Cachagua area, and I was excited to try their first Estate Cabernet Sauvignon at their just opened tasting room in Carmel by the Sea. This 2021 vintage is a stellar debut effort with ripe and structured fruit with a refined tannic core and a deep layering of blackberry, plum, cherry and blueberry fruits, subtle cedary wood framing and a nice background of dark florals, minty sage, tobacco, a delicate loamy note and lingering creme de cassis. There’s a classic Carmel Valley hint of old school rustic charm here, almost Medoc Bordeaux like in style with a touch of black olive, herb and a more moderate level of alcohol, making for a beautifully crafted wine that looks set for a long life, easily built for another decade or more. That said, this dark garnet/purple wine is already very pleasing in the glass and will impress with a hearty meal in the near term, bravo to Tire Nanza.
As a Carmel Valley native, I was thrilled with what I saw from Greg and Sydney, who’ve put their heart and soul into restoring and replanting many blocks here, which wasn’t an easy chore, but the results are beyond what I had imagined and this wine is a must have for us local wine enthusiasts. Tira Nanza’s inaugural vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, was harvested from the oldest vines on the ranch, this all dry farmed and organic fruit was fermented in cool stainless steel to preserve fresh details, aromatics and allowed for full extraction without harsh tannins. After the maceration and primary fermentation was completed the wine was pressed off and racked to 100% French oak oak barrels with 75% new and 25% neutral wood, which has integrated exceptionally well and doesn’t intrude on the purity of fruit sand add a lovely supple mouth feel. The natural alcohol, unlike some warmer regions comes in at about 14% and that is near perfect in terms of balancing ripeness of fruit and a feeling of elegance with a nice acidity that lifts the flavors and carries them long into the finish. The Tira Nanza collection is well worth checking out, including Carmel Valley rarity bottlings like their Rosé of Malbec and their Estate Viognier.
($85 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive