Review: 2022 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Heimark Vineyard and Estate Sauvignon Blanc

It’s been a whopping 15 years since we’ve covered the wines of Arkenstone, one of the bluest of blue chip California wineries, but so it goes. But so it goes. Today we’re back with two big releases — a single-vineyard cabernet sauvignon and an estate sauvignon blanc.

2022 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Heimark Vineyard – Single-vineyard cab with a Napa Valley designation, this wine is an iconic example of the Cali cab style, juicy to an extreme, overflowing with notes of plump currants, plums, and overripe cherries. Waves of baking spice wash over the wine, meandering their way to a slightly tart and gently tannic finish that sees hints of anise emerging. Cinnamon and cloves come in and out of focus throughout the experience, but the finish returns to fruit, evoking a blueberry cobbler note. Lush and fruit-forward (and ready to drink today), I can’t imagine any cab fan having a complaint with this ride. A / $195

2022 Arkenstone Estate Howell Mountain – A blend of 93% sauvignon blanc and 7% semillon, aged sur-lie for 11 months in new French oak. It’s billed as neither grape on the label, only as “Estate.” A very rich expression of sauvignon blanc, this wine pours on notes of toasted coconut, gooseberry, and well-browned butter. Dreams of an acidic, grassy, or tropical sauvi here should be dashed. This is a heavy, dense expression of the grape, dripping in marzipan and lime curd (if that exists). Chewy and nutty throughout, there’s a richness here that you rarely see with sauvignon blanc — and which is clearly part of the concept behind the creation of the wine. A- / $145

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