2024 Reclamación Cabernet Sauvignon | Sonoma Valley
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
Region
Sonoma Valley, California, USA
Accolades
Small-production Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Reclamación Wines, founded by Mexican-American owner and winemaker David Salazar
100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Wheeler Vineyard in Sonoma Valley and produced with a minimal-intervention approach
A remarkably limited release of just 50 bottles, aged for 16 months in neutral French oak to preserve vineyard character, fruit purity, and structure
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby in the glass, the 2024 Reclamación Cabernet Sauvignon opens with blackcurrant, dark cherry, and dried herbs, layered with graphite and subtle earthy notes. The palate brings black plum and cedar alongside firm yet polished tannins, with freshness and restraint keeping the wine composed rather than heavy.
Structured without excess, this is a more restrained expression of Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — dark-fruited and savory, with a long, clean finish and quiet elegance.
Winemaker Notes
Aromas
Blackcurrant and dark cherry
Dried herbs, graphite, and subtle earth
Palate
Black plum, cedar, and dark fruit
Firm yet polished tannins with a rounded mid-palate
Structured, balanced, and lighter on its feet than a traditionally powerful California Cabernet
Finish
Long, clean, and quietly elegant
Lingering dark fruit, cedar, and savory earth
Harvested on October 28, 2024 from Wheeler Vineyard in Sonoma Valley, the fruit was destemmed and fermented in macro bins before being pressed into neutral French oak barrels, where the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and aged for 16 months.
The use of neutral oak is deliberate: rather than imposing a pronounced new-oak character, it allows the Cabernet Sauvignon and vineyard to remain at the center of the wine. Malolactic fermentation softens the acidity and adds roundness through the mid-palate, making the wine approachable now while retaining the structure for graceful aging.
Minimal intervention was used from harvest through bottling, with the wine filtered before bottling and only a small sulfur addition made at bottling.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Pair with carne asada, birria de res, slow-braised beef barbacoa, grilled steak, or braised short ribs. The wine's dark fruit and polished structure also make it an excellent match for aged cheeses, charcuterie, roasted mushrooms, and other savory dishes.
For something simpler, open a bottle alongside a good pizza or a board of salty cured meats.
Why We Love It
The 2024 Reclamación Cabernet Sauvignon represents the California wine story we want to keep exploring at Kascadia — one where place, heritage, farming, and a new generation of winery ownership are increasingly part of the same conversation.
Mexican-American winemaker David Salazar grew up among the vineyards of southern Monterey County. His father managed vineyards there, and Salazar's earliest understanding of wine came from seeing firsthand the skill, agricultural knowledge, and year-round work required to grow the fruit behind California wine.
He went on to study viticulture and enology at Fresno State before developing his craft across California and in New Zealand. He founded Reclamación in Sonoma Valley with a belief that great wine should tell the truth not only about where it comes from, but also about the people whose knowledge and work helped make it possible.
The name Reclamación — reclamation — speaks directly to that purpose: bringing a Mexican-American name and perspective from behind the bottle to the front of it.
The wine itself follows the same philosophy. Thoughtful farming. Restrained cellar work. Minimal intervention. Sixteen months in neutral French oak allows Wheeler Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon to speak without being obscured by new oak.
The result is a Sonoma Valley Cabernet with structure but not excess — polished, expressive, and distinctly Californian.
With only 50 bottles produced, this is an exceptionally small release and precisely the kind of wine we love discovering: a compelling bottle with a genuine story of place and the people behind it.
Overnight orders placed on Friday will be delivered the following week as carriers deliver on business days.