Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Complex and well-balanced, showing a fine interplay of ripe plum, currant, cherry, herb and olive flavors. Finishing with a long, lingering aftertaste and a smooth, polished texture.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Arrowood's success with Cabernet Sauvignon, so obvious in the decade of the nineties, continues unabated, with a succession of top quality wines. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, and 3% Merlot, the unfiltered 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses an unformed nose of cassis fruit and subtle wood and licorice. The opaque purple color suggests terrific ripeness and richness. And guess what the wine offers? Deep, full- bodied, with gorgeous purity, a natural mouthfeel, and no hard tannin or tart acidity, this is a wine of considerable sumptuousness. Although approachable, it will not achieve full maturity for 3-5 years; it will keep for 15 years. Everything Dick Arrowood and winemaker Michel Berthoud produce these days merits significant attention.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.