Deep purple color; black cherry, black plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, boysenberry, chocolate, oak spice, rosemary, earth, caramel on the nose and palate.
Dry (1 g/L RS); chalky but smooth tannins; balancing acidity (3.68 pH; 5.9 g/L TA). Full body. Thick, chewy in the mouth; ripe fruit and alcohol give sensation of sweetness. The 2020 vintage had multiple challenges. The growing season was almost ideal. Then came wildfires, smoke taint, COVID-19. Nonetheless, several wineries managed outstanding wines. This is an example of such success and an example of McGrail’s house style. Well balanced, dark fruits, potential for aging. This is just moving into its best drinking stage after five years. 14.7% ABV
McGrail is a premium producer in the Livermore Valley (east of Oakland), which pre-dates Napa/Sonoma for quality California cab. McGrail has an aggressive “spice rack” oak regimen: a mix of French, American, and Hungarian barrels, 70% new in most vintages. Wine ages for 32 months, a significant investment. There is sediment and some exposure to air settles this down from a not-advised pop-and-pour, so decanting should be considered, at least a vigorous swirling followed by some time viewing the wine in a large glass.
Jim and Ginger McGrail began McGrail Vineyards with cabernet sauvignon plantings in 1999. Originally, they sold fruit. In 2003 they made a barrel of wine, by 2005 they made 1,000 cases of wine. Jim and Ginger then asked their daughter, Heather, to return to the Bay Area to open a winery and tasting room. In 2009, their daughter-in-law, Rachel, joined the team. That same year, the McGrail’s brought Mark Clarin on as their winemaker. Clarin says of his philosophy of wine making: “Less is more. Start with good grapes and don’t mess it up. And then at the end of the day, I make wines I like to drink.”
The estate expanded in 2016. Jim passed in 2018. The family vowed to carry on the family tradition “for family, friends, and great wine.” McGrail principally is known as a cabernet sauvignon maker, and this certainly maintains that reputation. Classic California cab that deftly avoids the over-alcohol, over-oaked, jammy excesses of days gone by.
McGrail Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley 2020: Plenty of richness, black fruit, full body, polished, long and supple finish, a powerhouse wine from the testy 2020 vintage (COVID-19, fires, smoke—this has no smoke taint). Good structure, complexity, delicious dark fruit parade across the palate. Well priced for a wine of this caliber. $69-73
Pairing—Grilled steaks; ribeye, T-bone, New York strip, porterhouse; lamb kebabs, roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb; steak au poivre; braised beef short ribs, beef bourguignon; braised lamb; pork tenderloin with herb crust, bourbon-glazed pork chops. Barbecue chicken; coq au vin; cab-braised boneless thighs with bacon, mushrooms, onions. Game: squab (pigeon), duck, ostrich, buffalo, wild boar. Cheese—Aged cheddar (2+ years), aged gouda (18+ months), gruyère; ossau-iraty, manchego, pecorino Romano. Avoid young, soft goat cheese (chèvre), bries and camemberts, parmigiano-reggiano, pungent blue cheeses.
