Wine of the week: Cache Creek, 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County

Derek Holstein made wine — inadvertently — at age 15.

“I had convinced my parents to purchase a gallon of apple cider from Ranch Arnez (now a winery) and I didn’t know that if it wasn’t refrigerated, then it would ferment,” explained the winemaker of Cache Creek Vineyards. “I became so fascinated with the process while it was fermenting that I began to research fermentation and started making fruit wines.”

The precocious winemaker is behind our wine of the week winner — the Cache Creek, 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County, 14.5% at $35. The cab has gorgeous fruit — black raspberry, red raspberry and dark cherry — and aromas that follow through to the palate. An impressive standout, this cab has an undercurrent of spice and savory notes and a lingering finish.

The cab shows well, Holstein said, because the vineyard is in a unique spot — on the banks of Cache Creek.

“The creek flows through it and offers well-drained soil with a southwesterly slope,” he said. “Cache Creek soil is leaner and less volcanic than much of Lake County, which adds another layer of challenging conditions for the vines. The result is a more elegant expression of fruit.”

Showcasing the vineyard, with its ability to produce clean and balanced fruit, is his goal, Holstein said. Once in the cellar, his focus is on teasing out the complexity of the wine.

“The flavors should be interesting and appealing to the consumer,” he said. “Ideally, the consumer should experience layers of flavors and textures that allow a sort of ‘discovery’ experience as the wine is being consumed. This is accomplished with the artful use of oak and fermentation techniques.”

Early in the fermentation, the seeds are removed to eliminate the possibility of picking up seed tannins, which taste bitter, Holstein said. Then there’s the matter of oak. In the case of this bottling, there’s a two-continent approach.

“We use a combination of oak from France and America,” Holstein said. “The French oak is from forests in the center of France (Nevers, Troncais, Alliers) and the American oak is from Missouri. The French oak adds coffee, leather and chocolate notes and the American adds a pronounced vanilla aroma and flavor while adding a tiny bit of grippy tannin in the mouth.”

Holstein, 69, initially planned on a medical career. Instead, he graduated with a degree in fermentation science from UC Davis in 1975. Now he spends his days grooming grapes and crafting wine.

“I’ve been blessed to meet many people who are just as passionate about creating wine with as much depth and interest as I have been,” he said. “When I interviewed Dr. Ough at UC Davis (then head of the enology department) to see if the enology field was a better fit than a medical practice, I asked him what the chances of getting a job in the industry were after attending the program. He answered ‘160%.’ As it turned out, he was wrong. It was more like 1,600%. It has been and continues to be a fascinating career with lots of room for excited newcomers.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.