Winemaker Notes
Deep and polished with blackberry, black cherry, and briar with nuances of earth and cedar. Ripe red fruits of tart cherry and red currant, over fresh thyme and hulled walnuts. Full and steadfast, its bright acidity is balanced by well-integrated tannins, with sweet and savory notes of toffee, olive, and dried violets on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackberries, blueberries, graphite, light spices and tar on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a polished and refined finish. Complex at the end, with an aftertaste of nuts, cedar and black currants. Chewy and crunchy. Drink or hold.
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.