Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is presently in a dormant stage of development. The wine's dark ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of sweet, earthy, blackcurrants, but it then retreats into a shell. Full-bodied, but noticeably tannic, it possesses the extract and fruit to balance out the tannin, but it is currently closed and in need of 1-3 years of cellaring. This is a candidate for 15-20 years of aging. As I have said before, the Cabernet Sauvignons produced at Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyard represent a synthesis in style between the extravagant ripeness so frequently achieved in top California vintages, and the more elegant, restrained style produced in Bordeaux. Recent vintages are all consistently good, although the 1994 Cabernet may not be the hugely successful wine that so many other estates produced in this benchmark vintage. I would have expected it to be much better than the 1993. Admittedly, I saw the wine immediately after bottling (no fining or filtration take place at Conn Valley), but the wine tasted reticent, although impressive, and possibly meriting an outstanding score.
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Wine Spectator
A touch earthy and leathery, but works its way past those flavors into a range of currant and cherry before the tannins kick in and dominate. This young and vibrant wine may move up a notch with time, but for now its rugged and tannic, even as the coffee and currant flavors pour through.
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.