Enfield Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 2023

Enfield Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 2023 comes from the project of John Lockwood, a former sommelier turned winemaker whose work has become closely associated with a more restrained and site driven expression of California wine. Since founding Enfield in 2010, Lockwood has focused on cooler vineyard sites, moderate alcohol levels, and low intervention cellar work, drawing more inspiration from traditional European wines than from the richer and more heavily extracted style often associated with California cabernet.

The fruit for this bottling comes from high elevation vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a region shaped by strong Pacific influence, frequent fog, and significant diurnal shifts. These conditions slow ripening and preserve acidity, helping produce a more structured and savory profile than warmer inland cabernet regions. The area has long been associated with a quieter, more old school style of California cabernet, something Lockwood has leaned into intentionally.

The wine is made primarily from cabernet sauvignon, fermented with native yeasts and a restrained approach to extraction, often including a small amount of whole cluster fruit. Aging takes place largely in neutral french oak, allowing the vineyard character and natural structure of the wine to remain central rather than emphasizing oak influence or ripeness. Lockwood’s approach consistently favors freshness, texture, and transparency over power.

The 2023 vintage reflects that philosophy clearly. The wine leans toward red and dark fruit, herbs, tobacco, and mineral notes, supported by bright acidity and fine tannins rather than weight. It sits firmly within the cooler climate Santa Cruz tradition elegant, structured, and shaped as much by site as by variety.

A thoughtful and restrained expression of California cabernet from a producer focused on balance, vineyard character, and a more classic interpretation of the Santa Cruz Mountains.