Winemaker Notes
The grapes for our Consenso Cabernet Sauvignon come from the higher altitude vineyards, terraced along the volcanic hills near our winery. A warm growing season and cool harvest combine to produce intense fruit flavor. This concentration of flavors includes a bounty of cherry, currant and anise characteristics. The blackberry and black cherry flavors of Sangiovese accentuate the consensual quality of this unique wine. The complex structure of this wine allows aging and enjoyment well into the next millennium.
The 1996 Atlas Peak Consenso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon lends a touch of elegance to succulent roast leg of lamb brushed with rosemary or Dijon mustard. A tenderloin of beef with cracked pepper, bathed in a red wine reduction sauce, will also prove an amiable match.
Alcohol: 13.6% by volume
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.