2019 Oak Glen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Black Hole Vineyard Sonoma Mountain 750 ml

You might not know Patrick Sullivan by name. But you know his Cabernets. 

Sullivan’s resume is chock-full of blue-chip Cabernet houses: He earned a reputation for perfectionism at Paul Hobbs and Peter Michael before spending five years as head winemaker at Oakville’s Rudd Estate. And the minute he saw the fog-shrouded slopes of Black Hole Vineyard—tended by Chris Bowland, Williams-Selyem’s Director of Viticulture—he knew he had to work with this world-class terroir.

In a phenomenal 2019 vintage that Antonio Galloni called “incredibly exciting,” Sullivan crafted a bold, black-fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. Gorgeously concentrated, polished and rich, he aged it for 21 months in 100% new French oak—a testament to the power and quality of the fruit. 

The McKinley family’s Black Hole Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain is the ideal place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon, on hills that face the towering Moon Mountain AVA. This narrow valley pulls cool fog and afternoon breezes right off Carneros and San Pablo Bay, giving the diurnal shifts that are ideal for grape growing—especially the development of healthy, flavorful Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It’s these same conditions that make for the greatness of Laurel Glen’s $110 Estate Cabernet just down the road.

This deal checks every single box: a magic vineyard site on Sonoma Mountain, a gifted winemaker and vine-tender, and the sterling 2019 Sonoma vintage. Our Master Sommelier, Sur Lucero, called it “polished and rich on the palate,” adding: “There is a LOT of Cabernet Sauvignon in the glass here for this price!” Bring on the lamb souvlaki!