Deep ruby color; blackberry, cherry, plum, tea, oak, vanilla, chocolate on the nose and palate.
Dry; significant but tasty tannins; standard acidity. Full body. Fruit-forward and alcohol gives illusion of sweetness. Some complexity, but mostly a straightforward Alexander Valley cab play. Oak notes from 16 months in French and Hungarian barrels, 15% new. Nicely extended finish. 14.9% ABV
Blend of 81% cabernet sauvignon, 6% syrah, 6% petit verdot, 5% merlot, 2% petite sirah. Most of the fruit came from the Vimark Vineyard in the northeastern tip of Alexander Valley, a sub appellation of Sonoma. More than half of Alexander Valley vines are cabernet sauvignon. Alexander Valley supporters claim their cabs rival adjacent Napa. DNA profiling in 1997, by the way, revealed cabernet sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of cabernet franc and savignon blanc in southwestern France (the Bordeaux area) in the 17th century.
Samuele Sebastiani emigrated from Italy in 1895 and started his winery in 1904. A stonemason by trade, he earned the money for the land by quarry-mining the Sonoma hills for cobblestones used to build the streets of San Francisco. By making sacramental wine, Sebastiani was the only winery in Sonoma County to continue operations through Prohibition.
The website notes Samuele cared about his employees and Sonoma: “When the combination of Prohibition and the Depression hit hard, Samuele initiated major projects at the winery to create employment for his neighbors. When there wasn’t sufficient work at the winery, he built around the plaza and constructed a skating rink, motel, theater and meeting hall at the Catholic Church. To keep people employed at the winery, Samuele began canning peaches, pears and nectarines.”
Samuele died in 1944 and his son and his wife, August and Sylvia, purchased the winery from the estate. They expanded the winery and the product line. August died in 1980 and his wife and children assumed management of the company. They improved quality and instituted a multi-million dollar remodel of the tasting room.
Bill Foley purchased Sebastiani in 2008. He and winemaker Mark Lyon lowered production, restricted yields, and acquired more new barrels and winemaking equipment. Today, the winery emphasizes single-vineyard and sub-appellation wines.
Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2019 approaches jammy, but acidity and balance keeps things in check. Rich and full. Strong oak influence. Checks off all the right Alexander Valley cab style boxes. Good value. Pair with beef, especially well-marbled cuts, ribeye, short rib, strip, flatiron, kobe, wagyu; lamb; wild game—venison, boar; pork—baby back ribs; comfort food—pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf, beef stew, burgers. Cheese—cheddar, aged gouda, gorgonzola; aged cow’s milk cheese with some age; semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese with some age; slightly firm, soft-ripened cheese with earthy notes like triple-crème brie. $22-25
