The Backus Vineyard—located on a hillside just east of the Silverado Trail in Oakville—yields a sturdier, more structured effort than the Insignia. It's a warm, low-altitude site but somehow suggests a mountain-ish pedigree. Tasted as a final blend, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is a head-turning wine of prodigious depth that is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. Rock-solid cassis fruit leads the way, accented by hints of hickory smoke, mocha and dark chocolate, while remaining firm and toned on the palate. With its well-defined musculature, it's a bodybuilder but one that's not overly muscled, just taut, balanced and impressive, with a long, sculpted finish. This vintage includes all of the Bacchus fruit (usually one or two lots are declassified), yielding approximately 1,500 cases.