Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a good value. It's tannins, weight and intensity of cassis-liqueur flavor brings it right up there with some of Napa's more expensive Cabs. Rich and flashy for drinking now and over the next 4–5 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Atalon's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is fleshy and generous, with plenty of fruit and terrific overall balance, not to mention considerable early appeal. Hints of tobacco, dried herbs and incense add complexity on the finish. This is a very solid wine for the money.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.