Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Adobe Road Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent example of this AVA. TASTING NOTES: This wine is powerful, yet restrained. Its persistent aromas and flavors of black fruit, tar, and licorice should pair beautifully with a serving of rotisserie chicken. (Tasted: August 9, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a great vintage for the region and aged 30 months in 90% new oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bavarian Lion Vineyard offers impressive crème de cassis fruits as well as graphite, lead pencil, and crushed stone nuances. It's rich and has medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It should keep nicely for 10-15 years.
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.
A small and picturesque valley separating Napa Valley on its south border and Alexander Valley to its north, Knights Valley excels in similar varieties as the two aforementioned appellations, namely red Bordeaux varieties and blends, as well as Sauvignon blanc. Originally established by Beringer Vineyards, today several outstanding producers claim acreage here. The circadian cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean create a nighttime respite for vineyards during the hot growing season.