The Wine Advocate | RP 100
Published: Jan 31, 2024
Drink: 2025-2045

Another exceptional wine from this vineyard on Howell Mountain, Outpost's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard features floral notes, crushed stone, cassis, blueberries and a hint of mocha as well. It's also full-bodied, rich and concentrated yet amazingly plush, silky and long on the finish. In a few words, it's complex yet harmonious, powerful yet elegant, and those seemingly oxymoronic juxtapositions often define great wine to this taster.

The vineyards that now compose Outpost have a long history. During my November 2023 visit to Napa, I had the opportunity to meet Frank Dotzler, the previous owner of Outpost (he sold to AXA Millesimes in 2018 but has stayed on as part of the agreement) and learn some of the backstory.

A tech-industry guy infatuated with wine, Dotzler first started looking for Napa land in 1997. He connected with Phillips and Harris Land Brokers, who shepherded him through the process. "[Jean Phillips (then owner of Screaming Eagle) and Ren Harris (Paradigm)] kind of took me under their wing—I'm not really sure why, a guy from Chicago—and took me around to hundreds of properties," said Dotzler. "They also helped me go around and taste lots of clonal wines."

In 1998, Dotzler purchased an undeveloped 20-acre property on Howell Mountain that would become the True Vineyard. The parts of the property that were suitable for planting were ripped up in 2000—even dynamited in some places to remove rock. The first vines weren't in the ground until 2002. In the process of developing that vineyard, it became clear that another land parcel would be needed.

Working with Phillips and Harris, Dotzler got a call about the Outpost property on a Wednesday and was on a plane from Chicago the next morning. The property had been redeveloped in the 1970s by the Lamborn family and then again in the late 1990s by Terry and Julie Pringle, who originated the Outpost name. Located just a quarter mile from the True Vineyard, it was a natural fit, and Dotzler purchased Outpost in 2003. Thomas Rivers Brown (TRB) has been the winemaker for Outpost, since he worked with the grapes as an assistant to Ehren Jordan at Turley Wine Cellars, and Outpost was TRB's first client when he struck out on his own. Dotzler sold Outpost to AXA Millesimes in 2018, but the affiliation with TRB continues. Dotzler is also partners with TRB in Mending Wall.

True Vineyard, Dotzler's original property, is bottled separately, both as a straight Cabernet Sauvignon and as a co-fermented blend that includes Cabernet Franc and Merlot. According to TRB, the core of the Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard is always the first three blocks, each planted to different clonal selections. One is sourced from Ren Harris at Paradigm, the See clone. Another is sourced from Jean Phillips at Screaming Eagle, referred to by TRB as the P clone (thought to be clone 7 or Bosché). And a third, is sourced from Paul Frank at Gemstone, the Jenkins clone (said to be a suitcase clone from Château Lafite-Rothschild). TRB maintains that this clonal diversity is the basis for the True Vineyard's complexity. 

Outpostwines.com

This Cabernet Sauvignon comes entirely from our True Vineyard located at 1,800 feet in elevation. Wines are neither fined or filtered allowing for the full expression of the vintages' potential.

"Another perfect wine from this team is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a site on Howell Mountain. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as incredible purity in its cassis, violets, graphite, and minty herb-like aromatics, this massive, full-bodied wine hits that palate with a dense, opulent mouthfeel, tones of velvety tannins, and impeccable overall balance." - Jeb Dunnuck, 100 Points

The vintage
2021 is another extraordinary vintage for this region. Coming from a warm, incredibly dry growing season, the wines nevertheless hold onto a beautiful sense of freshness and purity while being concentrated, rich, and structured.

Technical Informations
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Ageing: 19 months in 90% new French oak barrels
Production: 676 cases
Winemaker: Thomas Rivers-Brown