Amotus 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon
Amotus is our singular vision of a vineyard section that stands out to us in a given year, searching for the timeless balance of power and complexity that inspires us every day.
Amotus is our singular vision of a vineyard section that stands out to us in a given year, searching for the timeless balance of power and complexity that inspires us every day.
The name Amotus has connotations of emotion, passion, and devotion, and that is precisely the way we feel about Moon Mountain. It is we believe one of the greatest areas in the world for growing complex and distinct wines of pleasure, and Amotus is a singular expression of these characteristics.
As with the previous selectoins, in 2021 the Amotus was a parcel from the Alta Vista vineyard that is at the heart of Fission. This fifty-year old, dry farmed vineyard surrounded by forest, scrub and rock reflects planting choices from well before the modern wine industry began in California, choices which today we recognize as extraordinarily in tune with and reflective of their environment.
The vineyard has so many different exposures and such a difference in altitude from bottom to top, it's a case study in how a site can delivery complexity through its differences. In working to understand the site and also the effects of different aging vessels and time, Amotus was born. It started the first year with one barrel, and is now a selection of several barrels. It has more fruit and structure than Fission, and needs more time to come together.
We follow our ethos of minimalist winemaking, and transfer the wine from oak barrels to a larger foudre in order to allow the wine to continue its development with less effect from wood. It is a wine of intense concentration and texture through the mid palate that finishes with seamless tannin and pronounced minerality. Rich and dark black fruit with savory touches come through in layer after layer. The ultimate test will of course be the test of time, and we believe that is where the incredible substance of Amotus will shine through even more brightly.
The Vineyard Sources
Alta Vista Vineyard
Moon Mountain District Sonoma County
50 plus year old, dry farmed vines, on terraces fully adapted to their growing conditions.
Reviews
"Meaning "of elevation" in Latin, the 2021 Amotus is from a small parcel at the top of a rocky terrace and offers aromas of fresh leather, pine resin, fresh tobacco leaf, rocky earth, and black plum compote,. It’s fleshy and full, with more chewy richness, ripe tannins, and a hearty feel without feeling heavy. It has a good deal of extract but remains fully dry. It was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels and spent its second year in 1000-liter foudre."
-95 points, Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Amotus emerges from a single block in Alta Vista. Bright, punchy and savory, it is a quintessential Moon Mountain Cabernet. Chalk, mint, white pepper, crushed rocks, sage and dried herbs meld into a core of red-toned fruit. Readers will find a Cabernet that emphasizes mineral-driven persistence and tension more than size."
- 93, Antonio Galloni, Vinous