Snowden
Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers Vineyard – 2022
Region: CALIFORNIA - NAPA VALLEY
Snowden
Since 1955, the Snowdens have farmed their vineyard high above the Napa Valley. In addition to the stunning views of St. Helena, Rutherford and the San Francisco Bay, the estate offers four separate sites producing remarkably complex and individualistic wines. Winemaking duties are in the capable hands of Diana Snowden Seysses. The winery produces Bordeaux blends from their estate vineyards and a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc from a small parcel they call the Lost Vineyard.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
A 2 acre-block on the Palomino hill section of estate Brothers Vineyard. Vines planted on this Eastern ridge between Rutherford and St. Helena, in the Vaca mountains of Napa Valley.
- Altitude: 800 feet
- Soil: Ryolite (volcanic sands)
- Exposure: East
- Vines Planted: Cabernet – 2011; Petit Verdot – 1962, 1981, 2009
- CS Clone Selections: 337, 191, 169
Harvest Notes
- 2022 growing season began with ample groundwater, followed by textbook weather
- Budbreak 3rd week of March, flowering in May with high temperatures
- End August brought high heat wave, with attendant minute monitoring and precise hand pick window on September 10, 2022
- Some Cabernet blocks harvested before heatwave in traditional variety and winery style
- Some Cabernet just reached phenolic and flavor ripeness as sugar just began to accelerate: native yeast multiplication and some extraction started in vineyard
- All varieties were picked by September 12
- Fermented using only native yeast in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks
- Aged 18 months in French oak barrels
- Bottled unfined April 29, 2024
Winemaker's Notes
Bold and approachable. An outstanding representation of our favorite two acre block within the Brothers Vineyard, the ‘22 draws you in with aromas of violets, pencil shavings and black plums. Full and rich, swelling with black cherries, cigar boxes and Christmas pudding spices, the wine is a showstopper – layered and long with silkier tannins than are usual for this block. It’s delicious now and should remain so as it develops for decades to come.
Wine Summary
99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot; alcohol: 15%; Cabernet vines planted 2011 in a 2 acre vineyard block on “Palomino Hill,” on Eastern ridge between Rutherford and St. Helena, Petit Verdot from 0.84 acre immediately adjacent to Brothers Vineyard; 800 feet altitude; grown in Ryolite soils; hand harvested; fermented with only native yeasts; malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels; aged 18 months; bottled unfined.
Technical Information
- 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot
- Alcohol: 15%
Reviews
92 Points
Perfumed and lifted aromas of wild blackberries, olive tapenade and violets. The palate is full-bodied with silky smooth tannins and bright acidity, showing notes of mulberries, sarsaparilla and spices. Nicely balanced and giving. Drink or hold.
jamessuckling.com, October, 2024
93 Points
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers Vineyard is a super-elegant, classy wine. Spice, leather, tobacco and cedar lead into a core of blue/purplish fruit. This opens beautifully on the mid-palate and finish, showing terrific depth and poise throughout. 2025 – 2032
Vinous - Antonio Galloni, December, 2024
92 Points
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers Vineyard, Snowden’s version of a big Cab, is from a special two-acre block of the vineyard and was aged 18 months in 30% new French oak. Despite the menthol and cedar notes, some delicate tea-like nuances still come through, alongside mixed red and black cherries. It’s full-bodied, moderately concentrated, juicy and fresh, with some fine-grained tannins framing the finish. 2025 – 2035
© Wine Advocate, February, 2025
92 Points
The 2022 Brothers Vineyard bottling of cabernet sauvignon from Snowden Vineyards is another of their wines that felt the early September heat spike a bit more than some of the other cuvées, as this wine comes in at fifteen percent octane this year. It is composed entirely of cabernet sauvignon, with the exception of one percent of petit verdot in the blend. The wine offers up lovely aromatic complexity in its blend of red and black cherries, Cuban cigar wrapper, a lovely base of soil tones, a touch of currant leaf, woodsmoke and cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very elegant in profile for its octane level, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature and grip, fine-grained tannins, lovely focus and balance and a long, complex finish that shows just a touch of backend heat. Tasted blind, I would have figured this wine for a half point lower octane than it is, which underscores how very well it carries its alcohol. 2037 – 2075+
View From The Cellar, May, 2025
92 Points
A distinctive red, offering loganberry and mulberry fruit that leans toward sedated but still shows underlying energy, along with stylish details of rooibos tea, mulled anise and iris. A succulent edge emerges through the finish, which alone sets this apart in this vintage. A solid effort. Drink now through 2033.
Wine Spectator, August, 2025
16.5 Points
Full bottle 1,306 g. 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot. Matured 18 months in French oak.
Deep purple with a wide meniscus. Fresher nose than The Ranch and laced with orange oil. More energy and freshness on the palate with a light lift to the finish. 2025 – 2032
JancisRobinson.com, August, 2025
General Info
| Country | USA |
| Region | Napa Valley |
| Appellation(s) | Napa Valley |
| Proprietors | Scott and Joann Snowden and Randy and Janet Snowden, managing directors of Snowden Vineyards |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Winemaker | Diana Snowden-Seysses |
| Annual Production | 2,900 9L cases |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Sustainable (including no chemical herbicides used in vineyards) |