Hartwell Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
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Wine Spectator
Rich, supple and harmonious, with layers of blackberry, currant and dusty berry fruit shaded by light toasty oak and supported by firm, ripe, fine-grained tannins. Needs time for the cedary oak to works its way into the center, but should be superb in a couple of years.
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Wine Enthusiast
If you enjoy cellaring Cabs, this is probably a good candidate. It's fine to drink now, with forward cassis and cherry flavors that are liberally oaked, and dry. But the tannins are straightforward. They require something big and greasy, like lamb.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The deep ruby/purple-colored 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon from Hartwell Vineyards is a closed, elegant style of wine displaying notes of sweet cedar, damp earth (or is it forest floor?), black cherries, black currants and a hint of oak. This medium to full-bodied effort requires another 2-4 years of cellaring and should keep for 15+ years thereafter.
Other Vintages
2001-
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wine
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Enthusiast
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Legend has it that quick and nimble stags would escape the indigenous hunters of southern Napa Valley through the landmark palisades that sit just northeast of the current city of Napa. As a result, the area was given the name, Stags Leap. While its grape-growing history dates back to the mid-1800s, winemaking didn’t really take off until the mid-1970s after a small but pivotal blind tasting called the Judgement of Paris.
When a 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won first place against its high-profile Bordeaux contenders, like Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion, international attention to the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley escalated rapidly.
The vineyards in this one-of-a-kind wine growing region receive hot afternoon air reflecting off of its eastern palisade formation. In combination with the cool evening breezes from the San Pablo Bay just south, this becomes an optimal environment for grape growing. While many varieties could thrive here, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate with virtually no others, save for a spot or two of Syrah.
Stags Leap soils—eroded volcanic and old river sediments—encourage well established root systems and result in complex, terroir-driven wines. Stags Leap District reds have a distinct sour cherry and black berry character with baking spice and dried earth aromas, and supple tannins.