Navarro's Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from grapes grown on the Berry family's Rattlesnake Canyon Vineyard above Talmage, southeast of Ukiah. The Canyon is really two hillsides—one facing south and the other north—with a canyon running between them. The upper sections are steeply terraced and can only be farmed with a crawler tractor. The soils are rocky and the vines struggle, producing loose clusters with small berries, packed with flavor. The lower section is flatter with richer soils and more vigorous vines. 2017 brought a record amount of rain—over 50 inches—to the Ukiah area. It was perfect for the upper sections and the vines were able to be dry-farmed and produced balanced, concentrated wines. The lower section had plenty of soil moisture and the vines grew a little too vigorously—there's a saying that if Cabernet grows like a vegetable, the wine will taste like a vegetable.

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