2021 Auclair Winery Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, USA 🇺🇸

The Moment

Some Cabernets are built around sheer force.
Others are built around depth with discipline.

The 2021 Auclair Winery Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon feels like the kind of bottle that leans hard into the second lane — serious, age-worthy, and unmistakably Red Mountain, but polished enough to feel composed rather than loud. Heart of the Hill has been part of the program since 2012, 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.

That framing already tells you a lot. This is clearly not positioned as the easy midweek bottle in the lineup. It is the deeper, more serious Cabernet from a vineyard that Auclair has returned to year after year. A little Petit Verdot is sometimes added, helping explain why the wine carries a little extra structure and dark-toned complexity. 

What It Feels Like

Think steak on the table, a little quiet around the room, and a bottle that opens slowly into something more complete.

What makes this wine compelling is the combination of Red Mountain Cabernet stature and Auclair’s more restrained, Bordeaux-influenced house style. A dark, structured, cellar-worthy Cabernet.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Dark fruit, cedar or mocha-like oak tones, and lifted floral or herbal detail.

Palate
Structured, dark-toned, and Cabernet-driven, with enough depth to reward air and time. 

Texture
Firm and serious, but intended to settle into something more polished with age. 

Finish
Long, structured, and likely dark-fruited, with Cabernet authority carrying through the close. 

Why We Love This Bottle

A Red Mountain Cabernet With Real Intent
Auclair is very explicit that this is a bottle they expect to age well. That alone makes it one of the more serious wines in the lineup.

Heart of the Hill Has A Reputation For A Reason
Heart of the Hill is becoming well known, and Auclair has worked with Cabernet from the site since 2012. That consistency matters. 

Petit Verdot Gives It Extra Shape
3% Petit Verdot, which is a small but meaningful detail in a Cabernet like this because it adds depth, structure, and a darker edge. 

Pair It With

• Steak
• Lamb
• Braised short ribs
• Portobello mushrooms
• Aged cheddar

Technical Notes

Producer: Auclair Winery
Wine: Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2021
Region: Red Mountain, Washington, USA
Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.

Vineyard Notes:
Auclair says Heart of the Hill is farmed by Scott Williams of Kiona, and that the winery has sourced Cabernet from the site since 2012.

Style Notes:
The winery describes the bottling as age worthy and says it “stands the test of time quite well.”

Body: Full
Structure: Firm Cabernet frame · age-worthy tannin · dark-fruited depth

Flavor Profile
Dark Fruit · Floral Lift · Mocha/Cocoa · Mint/Herb

Drink Window
Now–2033