Easton Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Easton Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a 750ml, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from old-vine plantings in California's Sierra Foothills AVA. The 2013 vintage earned 96 points and a Cellar Selection designation from Wine Enthusiast, placing this estate-grown bottling among the most acclaimed Cabernets produced outside Napa Valley.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~14.5% (varies by vintage)  |  Origin: Shenandoah Valley, Amador County, Sierra Foothills, California  |  Estate Bottling  |  Winery: Terre Rouge and Easton Wines

Production & Heritage

Terre Rouge and Easton Wines was founded by Bill Easton and Jane O'Riordan in Amador County's Shenandoah Valley. The Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from 48-year-old vines on the Baldinelli Vineyard, planted in red, iron-rich granitic soils that impart a distinctive mineral signature. Fermentation takes place in both five-ton open-topped and ten-ton closed-topped fermenters with pumping-over, followed by two years of aging in 100% French Bordeaux barrels—50% new oak, 50% two-year-old barrels—then an additional three years in bottle before release. That five-year journey from harvest to shelf is a level of patience virtually unheard of at this price tier in California Cabernet.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Tight and sharply focused on the nose, the wine opens with concentrated blackberry and cassis before revealing layers of graphite and mint. With time in the glass, black pepper and cedar emerge alongside a subtle earthiness.

Taste: The entry is dry and fruit-forward, with ripe blackberry and black currant anchoring the mid-palate. Finely ground tannins provide firm structure without harshness. Savory undercurrents of black olive, leather, and cedar add Bordeaux-like complexity that builds through each sip.

Finish: Long and persistent, with dark fruit and cedar lingering alongside a mineral edge drawn from the granitic soils. The tannins resolve slowly, leaving a clean, savory impression that invites another glass.

How to Drink Easton Estate

Serve at 60–65°F after decanting for at least one hour; the wine's extended barrel and bottle aging means it opens up beautifully with air, and younger vintages benefit from two hours of decanting. A large-bowled Bordeaux glass is ideal for capturing the layered aromatics. This is a wine built for the dinner table—pair it with grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, or a rich mushroom ragout to let the tannin structure and savory depth complement hearty flavors.

Best For

• Cellaring for long-term aging alongside a serious wine collection
• Anchoring a multi-course steak dinner with bold, structured red wine
• Gifting a Cabernet collector something outside the Napa Valley mainstream
• Exploring Sierra Foothills terroir through a benchmark estate bottling

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Easton Estate taste like? The dominant flavors are ripe blackberry, black currant, and cassis, supported by savory notes of cedar, black olive, and leather, with finely ground tannins and a long, mineral-driven finish.

How does Easton Estate compare to Lava Cap Cabernet Sauvignon? Both wines come from the Sierra Foothills AVA, but the Easton Estate is sourced from significantly older vines—48 years old—on iron-rich granitic soils and undergoes a much longer aging regimen of two years in French Bordeaux barrels plus three years in bottle. Lava Cap tends toward a more immediately accessible, fruit-forward style, while the Easton Estate leans into Bordeaux-like structure and complexity.

Is Easton Estate good for cellaring? Yes—with its firm tannin framework and extended pre-release aging, this wine is built for the cellar. Wine Enthusiast's review of the 2011 vintage specifically recommended aging through 2019–2024, and higher-scoring vintages like the 2013 may reward even longer patience.

Where is Easton Estate made? The wine is produced by Terre Rouge and Easton Wines in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County, within California's Sierra Foothills AVA, where warm days and cool nights at elevation create ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon.

What foods pair well with Easton Estate? Grilled ribeye steak, where the wine's tannin and dark fruit complement charred, fatty beef. Braised lamb shanks, whose slow-cooked richness mirrors the wine's earthy, leathery notes. Aged hard cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda echo its savory depth. Wild mushroom risotto pairs naturally with the graphite and mineral undertones.

What sizes does Easton Estate come in? The Easton Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is available in the standard 750ml bottle.

Is Easton Estate worth the price? Positioned as a premium Sierra Foothills estate wine, it represents strong value given the old-vine sourcing, two years in French Bordeaux barrels, and three full years of bottle aging before release—a level of pre-release investment rarely matched by California Cabernets at comparable price points.

Why Easton Estate?

Few California Cabernets outside Napa Valley receive the pre-release aging treatment that the Easton Estate demands: two years in French Bordeaux barrels followed by three years in bottle before a single cork is pulled. The fruit comes from 48-year-old vines on the Baldinelli Vineyard, rooted in iron-rich granitic soils that stamp the wine with a mineral character uncommon in the broader region. A 96-point Cellar Selection score from Wine Enthusiast for the 2013 vintage confirms that Amador County can produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. For collectors and serious drinkers looking beyond the usual suspects, this estate bottling stands as one of the Sierra Foothills' most compelling reds.