Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This shows crystal-clear blue fruit such as blueberries, iodine, pine needles, cedar, mint and dark licorioce. It's lively on the palate with oyster shell flavors, real savory character, firm tannins, pretty acidity and a minerally finish.
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Decanter
The strong, mineral-focussed nose screams Atlas Peak and high elevation in this tightly wound wine from Piero Antinori's team. It's quite young yet nicely integrated, offering aromas and flavours of deep black fruit, espresso grounds, liquorice and oak spice, though without overt toastiness. 50% new French oak.
ANTICA is a symbol for Antinori California and expresses in Italian our family's passion for winemaking passed along 26 generations.
Napa Valley has a special place in my heart beginning with my first visit in 1966, having the free spirit coming from a new frontier, a wonderful history, and the potential to produce world-class wines.
Our wine estate is located on a high plain in the eastern mountains of the celebrated Napa Valley. Its hilly terrain, rocky soils, high elevations and beautiful landscape create above all an estate ideal for winegrowing.
Marchese Piero Antinori - Proprietor
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.
Just northeast of Napa city, Atlas Peak boasts some of Napa Valley’s highest elevation vineyards. Here the intense sunlight coupled with cool, nighttime temperatures produce grapes that are perfectly ripe, balanced and concentrated. The appellation is rich in volcanic soils and excels in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.