Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackcurrants, blackberries and black cherries. Some raspberry jam, too. It’s very cool and compact with pretty fruit and a firm, creamy tannin structure that is polished and nicely chewy. Tight at the finish. Needs time to open. Try after 2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) needs a little coaxing to reveal emerging notions of plum preserves, wild blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus hints of camphor, tree bark, truffles and licorice. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and packed with black and blue fruit layers, with finely grained tannins to support and a lively backbone, finishing long with mineral sparks.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from an incredible terroir in Oakville, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up all in new French oak. Its dense purple color is followed by a stunning nose of blackcurrants, black cherries, scorched earth, iron, and tobacco leaf-like aromas. Offering full-bodied richness on the palate, it has a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It displays the more elegant, streamlined style of the 2018 vintage yet still brings plenty of richness and depth. It can be enjoyed today or cellared for 15-20 years.
Rating: 95+
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.