"No deal with the devil required - the Huneeus family was ahead of the game when they staked a Cabernet claim in Coombsville with Faust."
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
A decadent, age-worthy Napa Cab from the team behind Quintessa, the powerful 97-point 2021 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon The Pact impeccably balances rich dark fruit, tantalizing minerality and layered, refined tannins,sourced from an exceptional Napa vintage described as "fabulous" by Antonio Galloni of Vinous and promising over a decade of enjoyment at an unbeatable price.
One of the first to recognize the potential for growing Cabernet Sauvignon in the remote southeastern corner of Napa Valley, visionary Quintessa founder Agustin Huneeus established the Faust winery in Coombsville in 1998 three years before it was recognized as an AVA, the region's growing reputation for exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon attracting some of Napa's top winemakers over the last two decades including Andy Erickson and Paul Hobbs. Known for developing Mondavi's Opus One and rebuilding Cardinale and Rudd, then Faust winemaker Charles Thomas recognized the unique attributes of the estate's lower yielding, higher altitude parcels and began to separate those plots of Coombsville fruit for a new bottling in 2007, naming it "The Pact" after Goethe's classic Faustian bargain of making "a deal with the devil." Located on a 128-acre hillside estate in well-draining rocky, volcanic soils, the elevated, low yielding parcels for the Pact are influenced by a unique 'cup and saucer' like ridge called the 'caldera' funneling winds from the San Pablo Bay and creating conditions for extended, gradual ripening, while overnight fog lingering late into the morning lowers temperatures and enhances the Cabernet's natural acidity. A Napa Valley veteran who produced top scoring Cabs at Harlan, Joseph Phelps and Groth, winemaker David Jelinek vinified each parcel for The Pact separately and aged the final blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot for 22 months in 45% new French oak before bottling, yielding a seductively smooth Cab described by James Suckling as "really complex and flavor intensive" promising to age beautifully and declaring "I can't wait."
The richly textured 2021 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon The Pact was among a handful of the highest rated Coombsville Cabs of the vintage yet priced at a fraction of the region's higher profile producers, delivering one the best values in Napa Cab and an exceptional pour to enjoy over the next and beyond.
So many graphite and pencil shaving aromas here with blue fruits. Slate and tar undertones. Black and red currants. Some ash. Medium-bodied with open grained tannins. So much iron and rust with lead and mussel shell. Then turns to pine cone and cedar. Really complex and flavor intensive. Love to drink it now as a young wine. This evolves all the time. It will age beautifully. Better in three to five years. But I can’t wait.
97 points, James Suckling (Feb 2024)
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