Rombauer Stice Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
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Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A pretty amazing wine, the 2013 Rombauer Stice Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is both stately and powerful. The wine shows great aromatics amidst its bright and bold black fruit nuances. Accented with a nice touch of oak, this wine pairs beautifully with a standing rib roast or double-cut lamb chops. (Tasted: July 12, 2017, St. Helena, CA USA)
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Wine Spectator
Intense and complex, with an assertive mix of savory herb, snappy, vibrant blackberry and wild berry shaded by creamy cedary oak and a dash of vanilla and mocha, all working together seamlessly. Pushes on the finish, where graphite and crushed rock details emerge. Drink now through 2028.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Stice Lane Vineyard, from St. Helena, aged 16 months in 100% new French oak. This is a strong effort. Dense purple to the rim with notes of licorice, blackcurrant jam, coffee and spice box, the wine is medium to full-bodied, shows sweet tannin, outstanding balance and purity and a long finish. This is an outstanding effort from the Rombauers. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.
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2014-
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Robert
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James
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Wilfred
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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.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.