99 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
My favorite of the 2021s from Lokoya is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain. It boasts complex floral and herbal notes of violets, bay leaf and sage that add wonderful nuance to the wine's ripe cherry and cassis fruit. It's full-bodied yet silky and elegant, a thrilling contrast with what you might expect from a "mountain" wine. It's still concentrated and tannic, with a lingering, dusty finish and plenty of aging potential.98Jeb DunnuckThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District is another incredible effort, revealing a dense purple hue and a kaleidoscope-like array of cassis, violets, spring flowers, and tobacco leaf, as well as full-bodied richness and ripe, velvety tannins. It has perfectly integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, flawless balance, and the class to benefit from 4-5 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years.
99 Points Decanter
The Lokoya Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is primarily sourced from their estate-owned 10ha Yverdon vineyard at 640m and the 18ha Wurtele vineyard at around 304m. The soils are mostly ocean-bottom sedimentary. What strikes you immediately is the minerality and earthiness in the bouquet, which is super expressive of gravely and loamy soils and with bright and focused black cherry and blueberry fruit notes. A stealthy dose of brisk and firm mineral-laced mountain tannins sneaks up, framed by intensely perfumed rose petal notes and underscored by refreshing blood orange acidity. You can't believe the freshness until it presents in juicy waves through an extended, full-bodied finish.
98 Points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District is another incredible effort, revealing a dense purple hue and a kaleidoscope-like array of cassis, violets, spring flowers, and tobacco leaf, as well as full-bodied richness and ripe, velvety tannins. It has perfectly integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, flawless balance, and the class to benefit from 4-5 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years
97 Points Wine Spectator
This is gorgeous from the get-go, with the distilled essence of mulberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit pouring through, all harnessed by a racy iron note and flecked liberally with anise, sweet bay leaf and iris accents. The finish shows terrific cut and drive as the fruit sails through. Dense for sure, but with purity, freshness and energy. Best from 2026 through 2046.
97 Points James Suckling
This is a bigger and broader Spring Mountain cab with terra-cotta, dust and dry earth aromas suggesting its warmer nature. Medium to full body with thoughtful, cut-velvet tannins and a lovely texture at the end.
Winemaker Note
The first documented planting of grapes on Spring Mountain has been attributed to Charles Lemme who planted La Perla Vineyard in 1874. Because of an unusual combination of topography and a mix of both sedimentary soils and volcanic soils the geography of Spring Mountain boasts many small springs throughout the mountainside, thus giving the appellation its name. The mixture of soils and sustained moderate temperatures produced a 2021 vintage that unfurls with rose petal, cassis, dark cherry, pain de grille, and a fine minerality.
