Today’s impeccably crafted (and shockingly well-priced) Cabernet Sauvignon is a game-changer. Experienced California wine lovers might look at the appellation on the label and do a double-take (Santa Ynez Valley is Pinot Noir country, right?) but as we all know, the times—and the climate—are changing. Producers not just in California but all over the world are re-evaluating which grapes are best suited for their terroirs, and while Pinot Noir certainly isn’t going anywhere, the cool Santa Ynez Valley has proved itself increasingly hospitable to Cabernet Sauvignon. This is confirmed in dramatic fashion by today’s 2018 from Brave & Maiden, one of the more ambitious wine projects to launch in California in recent years. 

Nestled in the sub-appellation of Los Olivos, Brave & Maiden started with the acquisition of a prized vineyard and continued with the enlistment of superstar consultant Paul Hobbs and winemaker Joshua Klapper. Rare is the instance when a $35 bottle of California Cabernet exudes this much sophistication and nuance, regardless of its region of origin, and, given what we know about the level of investment behind Brave & Maiden, we’re not sure how that pencils out—but it’s nothing short of astounding. With the critics’ antennae already pitched in their direction, I suggest you gobble up as much as you can handle now, before the price-to-quality “honeymoon'' comes to an end.

Although Cabernet Sauvignon and other “Bordeaux” varieties only account for about 700 acres of plantings in the Santa Ynez Valley, that figure represents an increase from years past. Although there was more Cabernet in the area back in the 1970s, many producers ripped it out because they were unable to get it properly ripe. The Santa Ynez Valley is the largest appellation in Santa Barbara County, clocking in nearly 77,000 acres planted to dozens of varieties, spanning 30 miles east to west. The climate moves from chilly and foggy on the western edge (home to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah) to warm and dry further east (great for Rhone blends and Bordeaux varieties). The soils vary from well-drained sandy loam on the valley floor to silty clay and shale loam blends in the foothills. The warmer sub-appellations of Happy Canyon and Los Olivos have become increasingly well-suited to Bordeaux varieties, and Brave & Maiden has taken full advantage by adding to their plantings of Cabernet and other grapes.

Los Olivos has favorable topography, soils, and a consistently prolonged growing season for ripening Cabernet and this was the driving force behind the Indonesian industrialist Rizal Risjad’s purchase of the former Harmon Family Vineyard on Refugio Road in 2010. Since then, they’ve replanted many parts of the vineyard with additional Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, won approval for a winery and on-site tasting room, and created the Brave & Maiden brand. Jason Djang is the GM and San Francisco firm Backen & Gillam (they designed Napa’s  Harlan Winery and Meadowood) designed the buildings. Since 2018 they have been fully operational in their tastefully modern, barn-like facility, which sits on a 70-acre estate with 46 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc.
 
Globetrotting consultant Paul Hobbs has been retained since day one and he periodically oversees a very capable team. Ruben Solórzano has been a viticulturist on the Central Coast for 30 years and Josh Klapper is their efficient and talented winemaker. The overall vine age on the property ranges from 10-25 years and soils are a mix of fine, sandy loam and some clay-heavy loam. The estate vineyards are fully SIP (Sustainable in Practice) certified, with microclimates marked by consistent marine influence—morning fog, warm days, cool nights. All grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and hand-sorted in the winery then fermented for 14-21 days in large, stainless steel tanks. Once pressed off, the wine goes into 100% French oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 18 months prior to bottling. 
 
Today’s 2018 Brave & Maiden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon deserves a solid 60-minute decant before serving at 65 degrees in Bordeaux stems. This 2018 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and is definitely a wine that puts Napa on notice—Santa Ynez is definitely a terroir to be reckoned with! In the glass, the wine shows a medium to deep, ruby-purple, opening with aromas of warm blackcurrant, red and black cherries, kirsch, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, and hints of graphite. Body is medium-plus and the texture is supple, with loads of warm red and black fruits, bittersweet chocolate, pipe smoke, touches of licorice, dried figs, and thyme. Fine-grained new oak and fruit tannins nicely bind into a softly textured mouthfeel with rich intensity and balanced acidity, all carrying into a long, deep finish. There is a clearly flamboyant, enveloping style here impossible to resist and $35 feels like a low admission price for a wine of this obvious “breed.” Both fleshy and racy, vivid and plush, this talented team at Brave & Maiden is charting an impressive, estate-driven course to one of the region’s top-tier properties. Catch an early ride, you’ll not regret it.