Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This is nicely focused, with a core of red and black currant fruit that shows a lightly racy edge despite its muscle, with hints of mesquite and sassafras peeking through. A late hint of iron checks in on the finish, which already shows a hint of maturity. Drink now through 2025.
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James Suckling
Rather dried-fruit aromas with sultana and some berry-jam character, as well as chocolate and vanilla undertones. It’s medium-to full-bodied with lightly chewy tannins and a fruity finish. Interesting red in the end. 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.