It has now been many years since Andrew Januik started his own line of wines, focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon. Today he is making a range of wines which includes his fantastic ‘Southern Sojourn’ wine from Argentina. His ‘Stone Cairn’ is a Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that is inky and intense, with beautiful texture and a good core of finesse. The wine is sourced from a host of Red Mountain AVA vineyards including Shaw, Obelisco, Quintessence, and Ciel du Cheval vineyards. Oak treatment is moderate, usually around 55% for roughly twenty months.
A year ago I visited Andrew at his winery and taste through a vertical of his ‘Stone Cairn’ Cabernet Sauvignon. These are wines that age marvelously and the same is true with his new release from the challenging 2019 vintage. The 2019 Andrew Januik ‘Stone Cairn’ (OB, 94) shows good richness and flavor density, as well as regional typicity. These wines are extremely reasonably priced under 50 dollars. Check out more about these beautiful wines at https://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/wines/andrew-januik/ Here are my tasting notes from my Andrew Januik ‘Stone Cairn’ Retrospective tasting.
2019 Andrew Januik ’Lady Hawk’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Coming from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, the 2019 ’Lady Hawk’ is comprised of nearly all 96% Cabernet Sauvignon (96%) with 4% Merlot blended in. Seamless on the mouth, the wine shows really good range and flavor density, from sagebrush and tobacco leaf to creme de cassis, pencil lead and blackberry cobbler notes. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2022-2034- 93
2019 Andrew Januik ‘Stone Cairn’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2019 ‘Stone Cairn’ was sourced from the Red Mountain AVA and was stored for 21 months in 55% new French oak before bottling. Scorched earth and smoked brisket notes combine with rich dark fruits and milk chocolate on the nose. The palate is soft and round with a seamless texture and good finesse. Layers of toasty oak and mocha combine with the herbal undertones, showing really nice flavor range. Finishing long, this is gorgeous, generous Cabernet Sauvignon that will cellar well for another fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037- 94
2019 Andrew Januik ‘Baba Yaga’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Southwind Vineyard, the 2019 ‘Baba Yaga’ delivers tar, allspice and rich dark fruits on the nose. The palate is soft and inviting with a lush texture. Boysenberry cordial, dark chocolate shavings and graphite flavors combine with light garrigue notes on the palate. Showing good weight and tension, this is beautiful wine to consume now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2022-2035- 93