Winemaker Notes
This classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reveals aromas of ripe blackberry and boysenberry with hints of dark chocolate and sweet oak. On the palate, the dark fruit is balanced by fresh acidity and lush tannins that carry all the way over a lingering, elegant finish—with just a kiss of minerality.
Enjoy this wine now, with everything from lamb burgers to filet mignon and fire-roasted portobello mushrooms—or lay the wine down and watch it continue to develop complexity in the bottle for years to come.
Blend: 88.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.2% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1.1% Syrah,
.5% Malbec, .5% Cabernet
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe plums and blackberries with some coca-nib, vanilla, bread-crust and smoke notes. Full-bodied with velvety tannins, deep fruit and bright acidity. Tight and reserved, yet juicy, with a long finish. Approachable now, but better in 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 88.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.2% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1.1% Syrah, .5% Malbec, .5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Petite Sirah. Deep garnet-purple in color, it offers up vivacious scents of warm cassis, juicy blueberries and Black Forest cake with hints of dried herbs and tilled earth. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves flavors with a soft, approachable texture and plenty of freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.
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.