2021 Cliff Lede 'Rhythm Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
The inaugural vintage of Rhythm couldn’t have come in a better vintage to flaunt the greatness of the Stags Leap District. Dark purple with vermillion-tinged edges, the plush and refreshing lures the taster with a multidimensional perfume that fills the glass with notes of jasmine, lavender, and spring flowers. Interwoven into the floral notes are unctuous layers of plum, blackberry, and black currants. Loads of smoked cardamom, cinnamon, and black licorice melt on the palate where vibrant acidity carries the long finish to a state of balance and equilibrium.
Since founding his namesake winery in 2002, Cliff Lede has put every emphasis on creating a world-class wine estate. With 60 acres under vine throughout the Stags Leap District, a state-of-the-art winemaking facility and a team that includes famed viticulturist David Abreu and winemaker Chris Tynan, every detail has been considered in an attempt to take Bordeaux varietals to a whole new level. A rock and roll attitude that harnesses the energy and spark of the New World while channeling values of the great Old World winemaking properties, his wines are intrinsically connected to the land with a fresh view point that is both progressive and timely. The wine world is changing, and Cliff Lede and his team are at the forefront of the movement.
Wine Enthusiast
Powerful, seamless and saturated with flavor, this giant of a wine goes deep in black currants, black cherries and mint aromas. The dense, rather firm texture holds a tasty mélange of black cherries and black figs shaded by cedar, cocoa, tobacco and espresso.
Jeb Dunnuck
The inaugural vintage, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rhythm comes from the Stags Leap District and is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. Its deep purple-hued, with some serious intensity in its cassis and blueberry fruit as well as notes of smoked tobacco, black olive, iron, and truffle. Concentrated, full-bodied, and velvety textured, it's a ripe, expansive, opulent expression from this appellation that has beautiful tannins and moderate acidity. It's going to evolve for 15 years with ease.