Winemaker Notes
Arrowood 2001 Reserve Speciale Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed on its own, or paired with delicious cuisine. Keep it simple and try it with a pan roasted salmon, grilled rib eye or flank steak, or go for a more refined entree like rack of lamb or prime rib.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the most underrated Cabernet Sauvignons made in the world is Arrowood’s 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale. Made from an assortment of vineyards in Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 23 months in primarily French oak. Its youthful dense purple color is followed by notes of truffles, spring flowers, new saddle leather, creme de cassis, cedar and spice box. Fabulously full-bodied, pure and multidimensional, but still youthful, it is not as backward as the Monte Rosso, and should hit its peak in another 2-4 years and age effortlessly over the following 20-25 years.
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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.