D.R. Stephens Estate Moose Valley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
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Connoisseurs'
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Connoisseurs' Guide
It is one thing to be impressed by a Cabernet that has made it through to twenty-three years of age without falling apart, but the hope is that time has worked to bring a sense of refinement and beauty achieved in no other way. This altogether lovely effort has not only weathered its protracted cellar stay with absolutely no sign of decay, but more than any other of the very good wines in this month’s retrospective, it has achieved a marvelous balance of richness, complexity and silky elegance that reminds just why truly great Cabernet Sauvignon is never a wine to be hastily drunk up. Our one regret is that it is the only bottle we own.
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2018-
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In 1996 Don and Trish found Oz II, their 35-acre property on Howell Mountain Road in the Saint Helena area of the Napa Valley, and an opportunity became available to attain their dream. Trish designed and built their French-European home on a four-acre plateau above the vineyards and indigenous olive trees. She is currently planning the addition of a wine cave with a dining hall and wine library, which will hold the Estate's legacy wines and provide a venue for large scale entertaining.
Don and Trish planted the nine-acre Moose Valley Vineyard in 1996 and had their first release of their 1999 D.R. Stephens Estate Moose Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in 2002. The wine was extremely well received in the food and restaurant world and was immediately added to the wine lists of some of the best restaurants in many of the major cities.
Winemaker Michael Hirby feeds his winemaking and vineyard skills through his insatiable appetite for information. His intimate knowledge of grape flavor development in the vineyard and individualistic winemaking practices are deeply entrenched within a naturalist philosophy. Michael joined D. R. Stephens Estate as the winemaker in May 2010.