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
Temperature Control Shipping
All Central, Midwest & Eastern orders ship via temp control truck.
96 Points
Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, floral violet and savory spice. The palate is full and layered, with robust, age-worthy tannins and gorgeous flavors of dark berries, mocha and chocolate-covered cherries mingling with hints of graphite, fig and fine leather. Smooth tannins, firm structure and silky texture coat the palate on route to a long, generous finish.
90 Points
Rich and voluptuous with ripe raspberry, cherry, and plum, layered with hints of lavender, fig compote, and exotic spice. Concentrated and complex, the palate is a balanced interplay cocoa, and a hint of espresso, creating both richness and intrigue. Vibrant acidity and silky tannins that contribute heft and length that coat the palate with luscious ripeness that keeps on giving.
93 Points
Deep red hue and hints of violet teasing the senses with seductive aromas of dark fruits, wild berries, cocoa, baking spices, leather, and cigar box. Filled with saturated flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry, cassis, cherry cola, ripe plum, chopped mint leaves, while the palate unfolds with rich tannin, juicy acidity, and flavors of cherry gastrique, berry coulis, herb mélange, and licorice.
98 Points
Deep purple hue and an alluring aromatic profile of fresh blue fruits and delicate violets. On the palate, it delivers a seamless and layered texture, framed by supple, polished tannins and a refined sense of balance. Elegantly structured, it offers remarkable purity and finesse, finishing with graceful length and poise.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
91 Points
Shimmering ruby-purple hue. The nose is a walk through a damp Sonoma forest—mossy bark and wild earth—brightened by high-toned notes of cranberry sauce and blood orange. On the palate, it's generously long in the mouth, with good concentration. It's a masterclass in tension: intense, cherry and red current fruit meets dark spice and fine, sandy tannins.
94 Points
Deep red-purple with aromas of black currents, blackberry, plum, chocolate, earthy forest floor, licorice, graphite, and subtle floral notes of violet, spice and cracked pepper. The palate is full, structured and balanced with blackberry, currant, black cherry fruit with notes of earth, firm acid and silky tannins. Finishes big with blackberry fruit and peppery spice.
96 Point Vintage
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.
