Winemaker Notes
The 2009 Era is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based red with 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. It is a dark, powerful wine bursting with plums, espresso, mocha, sweet French oak and licorice, all of which come together in a powerful, virile style. Layers of black fruit build effortlessly towards the opulent, caressing finish. Despite the wine’s richness, there is excellent underlying structure.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Era is made up of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. Deep garnet colored, it is a little broody to begin, unfurling slowly to reveal loads of enticingly savory notes of grilled meats, sautéed herbs, dried wild mushrooms and pain grille with a core of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry pie and preserved plum plus wafts of dried mint and star anise. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of elegance and grace with layers of earthy and savory nuances and a good core of black fruit preserves, flanked by firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing with a quiet intensity. Delicious now, this wine should continue to give a lot of pleasure over the next 10+ years.
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.