Cabernet Sauvignon Backbone 2017 (Motto Wines)

Cellar for up to 3 years. No need to decant. With Backbone, the winemaking team at Motto walks a fine line. It has the rigid backbone that most assume California Cabernets will have, but it also has a soft elegance. The ageing process involves old and once used oak barrels as well as stainless steel tanks to experiment with different levels of each to allow them to find that perfect balance that they are looking for. All the grapes used for the wine are fermented and aged separately. This allows the winemaker further control when it comes time to do the final blend. The wine that is produced is a unique combination of sites across California that are blended together to make a one-of-a-kind wine. On the nose, look for surprisingly soft and delicate red fruit notes that one doesn’t expect to come from such a dark wine. On the palate, the expected explosion of concentrated raspberry and dark plum laced with caramel shows off the backbone of the wine. The tannins are soft and represent more of a dusty grape skin tannic quality as opposed to a wood driven tannins. The winemaker loves pairing his wines with expected and unexpected foods. Here are a few of his favorites: Juicy steak, BBG chicken, hot dogs, sausage, meat-lovers pizza and dark chocolate cake.