2023 · Carmel Valley
Massa Cabernet Sauvignon
Dry brush after a storm — black pepper, wild herbs, a faint sweetness of cinnamon.
Massa · 1,650 ft
$85
The data
- Appellation
- Carmel Valley
- Elevation
- 1,650 ft
- Acreage
- 90 acres
- Distance to ocean
- 9.5 mi
- Geology
- Placerita formation
- Soils
- Chalky silt with slate and calcareous sandstone
- Varieties
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Clones
- Unknown
- Row orientation
- North to South
- Spacing
- 12 x 10
- Vine age
- 57 years
What this means in the wine
At 1,650 feet and 9.5 miles from the water, Massa ripens on its own schedule. Placerita formation underneath keeps the vines lean and the wines tight through the middle; the chalky silt with slate and calcareous sandstone holds just enough water to get through a dry September without stress.
Rows run north to south, planted 12 x 10. Vine age: 57 years. Older wood here gives smaller clusters and more concentrated, more savoury fruit than the young blocks, which is why we keep the lots separate in the cellar and usually bottle them that way too.
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