Each individual block of Cabernet Sauvignon is picked at individual ripeness over a period stretching from early October to early November. After gentle destemming, the lots are cold soaked for 48 hours prior to fermentation for a smooth extraction of color and flavor. After fermentation, the lots are racked to an equal combination of French and American oak barrels, where they age for 19 months prior to blending and bottling. Small lots of estate-grown Merlot, Malbec and Petite Syrah are incorporated into the final blend for enhanced color, mouthfeel, and flavor dimension.

The grapes for the Cabernet Sauvignon span a range of diverse Cabernet Sauvignon blocks from across Santa Margarita Ranch, collectively planted to soils of calcareous ancient sea bed, Monterey shale and rocky alluvium. These blocks feature many of Margarita Vineyard’s original mature plantings as well as multiple new blocks and clones, including the new Quarry section of the vineyard. These different blocks, clones and soil profiles combine to create a naturally complex and multi-layered estate Cabernet Sauvignon with a signature mingling of red and black fruit flavors. Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles region, nestled into the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the new Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. The mountain peaks act as a gateway for cool marine air, resulting in an extended growing season that yields fruit with uncommon depth and structure. The peaks are also testaments to the tectonic forces that created Margarita Vineyard’s rare diversity of soils, ultimately creating natural complexity in the wines.