Winemaker Notes
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve flows across the palate with layers of expressive dark red fruit, spices, new leather and licorice. The style is rich and enveloping throughout, with notable silkiness and exceptional polish. Hints of white pepper and orange peel add an attractive upper register on the finish. Here the fruit is a bit more red-toned than in either the 2010 and 2011.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve exhibits classic crème de cassis, graphite and spice box notes as well as terrific purity, plenty of depth and ripeness, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. In the past, this cuvée has been highly successful as well as very ageworthy. The 2012 is another beauty. Juicy and filled with cassis fruit, it is still primary, but promises to keep for two decades or more.
Range: 91-94
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.