Winemaker Notes
On the nose, violets, blackberries, cherry pits, worn leather, matchboxes, dusty soil. On the palate, boysenberry, currant, anise, rose, espresso bean, elegant French oak, broad on the palate while being both balanced and powerful
Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Black-olive and savory smoked-meat aromas, along with dried blueberry and walnut. It’s full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Dark chocolate adds to the savory flavors. Concentrated and focused. Try from 2023.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base appellation 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley succeeds wonderfully in the vintage, offering classic blue fruits, cassis, scorched earth, crushed stone, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors. This beauty is medium to full-bodied and has a seamless, elegant texture, remarkable balance, and a great finish. It can be drunk today with loads of pleasure but will benefit from a handful of years of bottle age and drink nicely for 15+ years.
Rating: 93+ -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon rolls out of the glass with ready-for-business notes of freshly crushed black and red plums, Black Forest cake and ripe blackcurrants, plus suggestions of licorice, tar and new leather with a touch of wild sage. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with bold black fruit layers, framed by soft, velvety tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long with a compelling floral perfume coming through. Nicely done!
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Decanter
A blend of Alpha Omega's extensive vineyard holdings. Aromas of blueberry, boysenberry and caramel frame a tinge of alcoholic heat at the core. The palate is red-fruited and soft with relatively subtle tannins, showing flavours of blackberry, cranberry and baking spices. A full-throttle overview of the Napa Valley.
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.