Black Stallion Estate Winery spotlight
Stephen Mathews, a fourth-generation Indelicato, walks Black Stallion Estate Winery on the official Delicato Family Wines channel, including the Gaspare vineyard named for the family founder, the Oak Knoll site of this Cabernet.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2021 Black Stallion Gaspare Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District across the open market. Their published U.S. low is $60.27 and the average is $66.97. Our slash is $60.00.
2021 Black Stallion Gaspare Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District
Ralf Holdenried's estate Gaspare Vineyard Cabernet from Oak Knoll, twenty months of French oak, a 2021 you can open at sixty dollars.
The 2021 Gaspare Vineyard is estate Cabernet from Black Stallion's Oak Knoll blocks: blackberry, dark plum, cedar, menthol, and anise after 20 months in French oak, now $60.
A named Oak Knoll vineyard, not a valley blend
Gaspare is drawn from designated blocks on Black Stallion's own Oak Knoll estate, named for Gaspare Indelicato. Twenty months in French oak, 64 percent new, is why cedar and baking spice sit on the fruit. Decanter found potent black fruit, cedarwood spice, broad tannins, and a long savory finish. The Wine Independent, Vinous, and James Suckling all landed at 92 or 93 on this exact 2021.
The house
Black Stallion occupies a 32-acre Silverado Trail estate that was once an equestrian center. The Indelicato family bought it in 2010 and named this vineyard for Gaspare, the family founder.
The wine
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Twenty months in French oak, 64% new. 15.0% ABV. Ralf Holdenried.
The scores
Decanter 94. The Wine Independent 93. Vinous 93. James Suckling 92.
The drinker
Blackberry and cedar first. Decant about 45 minutes. Serve near 60 F. Grilled lamb or a port-balsamic filet.
Dark fruit, cedar, then a savory spicy close
The winery found blackberry, brown sugar, and cedar with powerful but elegant tannins. Decanter added potent black fruit, cedarwood spice, and a long savory finish. The Wine Independent found blackcurrant, plum, menthol, anise, and a spicy kick. Vinous called it inky and opulent: blackberry jam, cassis, chocolate, leather, licorice, and incense.
Napa Valley Vintners called 2021 a low-yield year with intensely flavored small berries after drought, then a smooth harvest. Gaspare translates that concentration into ripe fruit, cedar, and substantial structure.
Blackberry, blackcurrant, dark plum, brown sugar, cedar, menthol, anise.
Full, 15.0% ABV, fine-grained tannin, 20 months French oak with 64% new.
Leather, spice, a long savory close. Decant about 45 minutes. Serve near 60 F.
Twenty months of French oak, translated into texture
On the Black Stallion sheet, the 2021 Gaspare Vineyard Cabernet is made from grapes grown on the estate in the Gaspare Vineyard blocks, in Oak Knoll's moderate climate. Twenty months in French oak, 64 percent new, is the cellar program that puts cedar and baking spice on the dark fruit without turning the wine into toast alone.
Oak Knoll's bay influence helps Cabernet ripen evenly, which is why the reviews still describe balance and fine-grained tannin at 15.0 percent alcohol.
Ralf Holdenried runs the small-lot cellar. The new-oak share is high enough to register. The fruit is still the center of the glass.
Serve near 60 F. Forty-five minutes of air helps the tannins relax while the dark-fruit energy stays.
From an Oak Knoll equestrian property to a single-vineyard Cabernet
The estate's unusual past still shapes its cellars, while the Indelicato family gave Gaspare a modern purpose.
Black Stallion occupies a 32-acre Silverado Trail estate in Oak Knoll, once an equestrian center. Stone walls that housed horses now hold barrels.
The Indelicato family purchased the estate in 2010 and converted the former riding ring into a small-lot winery. They named the vineyard for Gaspare Indelicato, who started the family wine business.
Under Director of Winemaking Ralf Holdenried, those designated blocks become a Cabernet that connects family memory, Oak Knoll's moderate climate, and contemporary cellar precision. Wine Enthusiast named the winery 2023 American Winery of the Year.
Give the Cabernet char, richness, and a savory sauce
Lamb and filet match the wine's scale. Browned edges, balsamic, and demi-glace echo cedar, dark fruit, and a savory finish.
Two plates. One grilled rack of lamb with demi-glace butter. One port-wine balsamic filet mignon. Both can take Oak Knoll Cabernet.
Serve near 60 F and decant about 45 minutes. That brief air time helps the tannins relax while the dark-fruit energy stays.
Grilled Rack of Lamb with Demi-Glace Butter
Food & Wine's grilled lamb combines browned meat, balsamic lift, and a glossy demi-glace butter.
Why it works: Lamb fat meets the Cabernet's tannin, while char and demi-glace draw out cedar, savory spice, and black fruit.
View Recipe for grilled rack of lamb with demi-glace butter (opens in a new tab)
Port Wine Balsamic Filet Mignon
Food Network's filet uses a port-balsamic pan sauce for sweetness, tang, and concentrated beef.
Why it works: The sauce mirrors the wine's dark-fruit richness, while balsamic freshness and tender beef soften its firm structure.
View Recipe for port wine balsamic filet mignon (opens in a new tab)Put this Gaspare Cabernet in the cart
Decanter 94. Estate Oak Knoll fruit. Sixty dollars against a $90 typical retail.
Put it in the cart. This is the Black Stallion bottle for a table that wants a named vineyard Cabernet with cedar, not a slogan.
