Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A dense and rich cabernet with masses of fruit and juicy tannins. Blackberry, walnut, and light prune character. Flavorful and high-toned aftertaste. Drink in 2018.
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Tasting Panel
Small percentages of Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, and Merlot are added to the 82% Cabernet Sauvignon. After 80 years, this winery continues to show a world-class style and here, great value as well. Potent perfume of currant and savory herbs lead to a luxurious palate. Sturdy tannins are teamed with juicy, gushing black fruit. Oak is fennel-kissed and shows well to the end.
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Wine Enthusiast
This well-made wine offers great value for the appellation, elegant in dusty cedar and pencil shavings, the fruit subdued and approachable. Full bodied, it remains balanced in the glass, its oak profile nicely kept in check.
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Wine Spectator
A wholesome expression of earth- and graphite-driven Cabernet, commingling with road tar, roasted herb and dark berry flavors. Crushed rock minerality enlivens the finish. Drink now through 2024.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2013 Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a picture-perfect wine from the Napa Valley. The wine has all the right stuff—bright black currant, sweet oak, and layered textures. The lively finish makes it a good candidate with oven-baked pork tenderloin. Drinks well now. (Tasted: October 24, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.