Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon AXR Napa Valley is the flagship release from this estate. It's another deeply hued Cabernet Sauvignon and offers a more dense, concentrated, mineral-laced style in its black and blue fruits, spicy oak, notes of graphite and lead pencil, full-bodied richness, and one heck of a great finish. It needs to be forgotten for a solid 4-5 years and will evolve for 20 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Flagship charges out of gate with vibrant crème de cassis and blueberry pie scents, followed by Black Forest cake, licorice, menthol and cinnamon toast wafts. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and plush, the palate delivers a nice burst of freshness on the long finish.
Rating: 95+ -
Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon a x r ? Napa Valley is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Racy red berry fruit, spice and wild flowers all open in the glass. The 2019 is racy and quite flamboyant, but not as overly heavy as the other wines in the range, and that's a good thing.
The history of the AXR estate is compounded in layers; rooted in historic tales of fierce Native American hunting grounds, wild west pioneers and the first woman vintner of California in 1886. It has changed hands over the course of 134 years to become a brewery, restaurant, inn, winery and saloon. Tales of love, lust, heartbreak, murders and great fortune create an imaginative backdrop to the present-day vision of AXR. Named after the AxR rootstalk (Aramond x Rupestris) that was so prominent in building the modern California wine industry, AXR Winery pays homage to the so-called "roots" of the industry. By utilizing modern and innovative techniques in the cellar, AXR extract the uniqueness of Napa Valley’s soils into wines enjoyable now, or many years from now. They start with hand-picked grapes, naturally fermented in small handcrafted lots, add in the expertise and palette of renowned consulting winemaker Jean Hoefliger, and you have a recipe for stunning wines that promote even better conversations, more laughs, and an invitation for others to join the group!
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.