For over 20 years, Highlands Winery operated in "stealth mode." No flashy parties for critics, no chasing 100-point scores—just a crew of Napa legends (including veterans from Silver Oak and Cornerstone) making world-class Cab for those in the know.
But all good things must come to an end. Following the passing of partner David, the winery is taking its final bow with the 2020 Highlands Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Sourced from a premier, undisclosed Coombsville site, this is everything a "Swan Song" should be: Rich, opaque, and sophisticated.
The Vibe: An "old-school meets luxury" Cabernet crafted by industry insiders who finally decided to retire.
Palate: Surprisingly fresh for a 2020. It sidesteps the overripe "jammy" notes of the vintage, instead delivering urgent bursts of blackberry, cassis, and boysenberry.
Structure: The Coombsville terroir shines through with a cooler finish that reins in the center-valley richness. Expect seamless, velvety tannins and a sophisticated oak profile (20 months in French oak).
Coombsville, Napa Valley
Tucked into the foothills of the Vaca Mountains, the Coombsville AVA spreads out to the west of the town of Napa and up the slopes of Mt. George. The soil is primarily volcanic in origin and proximity to the Bay keeps the area awash in fog and sea breezes. Because of its proximity to the San Pablo Bay, Coombsville experiences cooler temperatures compared to AVAs further north, allowing later grapes harvest and at more developed phenolic ripeness. The wine shows generous soft tannins and notes of dark black fruits such as blackberry and blackcurrant while retaining moderate alcohol and refreshing acidity.
Vintage
Coombsville being a little cooler than the main part of Napa benefited by being able to ripen slowly and evenly and produced notable elegant Cabernet with fresh dark fruit, violet notes, and fine-grained tannins. Cooled by San Pablo Bay fog, the wines here display a more restrained profile than warmer Napa areas, and produced profiles that are opulent and velvety, with beautiful concentration, color and depth.
Winemaking
The fruit was harvested by hand, carefully destemmed, then sorted and gently crushed into small fermenting tanks for 12 days, with an additional time on the skins to maximize the extractions of aromas, flavors and tannins. The wine was aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels.
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Coombsville District, Napa Valley
Aging: 20 months
Type of oak: 100% French oak barrels
Harvest date: Sept. 23 – Oct. 10, 2020
Bottling date: August 2022
Alcohol: 14.2%
Production: 141 cases
95 Points
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
95 Points
Deep garnet-purple in color, it strides confidently out of the glass with notes of crushed blueberries, ripe, fresh blackberries and warm cassis plus hints of black cherry, cardamom and nutmeg. The full-bodied palate is full of crunchy black fruits. It's rich and ripe firm chewy tannins provide additional structure and complexity as you make your descent into a long and flavorful finish.
94 Points
Aromas of honey, ginger, and key lime radiate from this elegant Chardonnay. A burst of fresh citrus, lime, and star fruit enlivens the front palate upon first sip and is quickly followed by ginger and white pepper, all underscored by subtle notes of white peach and cardamom. Vibrant acidity and steely minerality give the wine excellent structure as it moves into a long, flavorful finish.
93 Points
Robust aromatics of boysenberry, blackberry, cranberry, and black cherry are the centerpiece of this wine, harmonizing with the underlying aromas of violets, sandalwood, and forest floor. The first sip opens on the palate with a rush of softness and density, and lush, savory tannins. Red berries, blackberry, and cassis envelop the tongue on the mid-palate, gently punctuated with subtle acidity followed by a long, flavorful finish.
94 Points
Aromas of fresh lime, verbena, and gooseberry are followed by a juicy, aromatic front palate with bright acidity that wakes up your taste buds. The heightened aromatics develop even greater complexity on the mid-palate, featuring fresh lemon and star fruit, with just a hint of green apple and mango. Gorgeous structural precision leads to a long and chiseled finish with lasting minerality.
90 Points
Aromas of cranberry, sour cherry, plum, and orange rind, complemented by hints of forest floor, pine needles, and rosemary. The wine opens with flavor of juicy red fruit supported by spicy undertones of red pepper and black tea. The freshness of its red fruit are enhanced a vibrant core of light acidity and full rich tannins all of which linger gracefully in the long finish.
