Don’t dismiss Cabs from the foothills
By Mike Dunn, Sacramento Bee
My turnaround on Cabernet Sauvignon from the Sierra foothills began one day last fall as I stood at the tasting counter of Hart 2 Hart Vineyards at Pilot Hill in El Dorado County.
Dominic Mantei was pouring tastes of wines he makes on the premises, some bottled under the brand Hart 2 Hart, others released with the label Everhart Cellars.
I was impressed by how fine, fresh and frisky the lineup was, but when he got to the Everhart Cellars 2013 Pilot Ridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) I realized by the wine’s authority and balance that I needed to revisit Cabernets from the foothills, which never have been closely identified with the varietal.