Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
An extremely steep hillside with white-chalky soil, this has attractive violet and spicy, flowery aromas, wet stones, cassis and black olives. The palate is super plush and has such concentrated flavors of blackberries and dark plums. Spiced chocolate, too. Such elegant, silky tannins here. Very long with still so much to come in the next decade or more. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Del Rio Vineyard is based on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a site in the Alexander Valley and spent 20 months in 70% new French oak. Its saturated ruby color is followed by a complex perfume of blackcurrants, green tobacco, cedarwood, and lead pencil notes. It's rich, full-bodied, opulent beauty that has tons of sweet fruit, silky tannins, and a forward, classic California style. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 50% new oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Del Rio Vineyard opens with luscious aromas of molten chocolate, Morello cherries, cedar, beef drippings, cassis, black plum and floral notes with hints of red cherries and graphite. Full-bodied, lush and intensely fruited in the mouth, it has a firm frame of very finely grained tannins and great freshness to counter, finishing very long and layered. This has all the stuffing, acidity and tannic structure to be very long lived.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine offers juicy red fruit on the nose, with background layers of mocha and vanilla. The palate offers a velvety concentration of berry fruits that are supported by a rich, structured profile.
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.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.