Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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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. Another sensational, opulent, rich, extremely aromatic and concentrated red wine from Arrowood, the 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses stunning concentration and intensity, impressive balance and purity, and copious quantities of sweet tannin in the long finish. It should even eclipse the super 1993. Everything Dick Arrowood and winemaker Michel Berthoud produce these days merits significant attention.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe, smooth and polished. A harmonious wine with pretty currant, plum and cherry notes, finishing with supple tannins, good length and a dash of coffee. Drinks well now, but has the depth and balance to age into 2000. 8,421 cases made.
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.