Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I thought the Jenzen Cabernet Sauvignons showed brilliantly. The 2012 Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has a dense purple color followed by notes of creosote, burning embers, wood spice, forest floor, blackberry and cassis. It is full-bodied with great intensity and a long, rich, concentrated finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Floral and soft, with a substantial foundation of leather and black licorice, this is a tremendously seductive wine, layered and complex, with years to go in terms of structure. Already it offers velvety tannins and dreams of blackberry patches gone by, finishing with succulence and a taste of pure dark chocolate. Cellar through 2022. Editors' Choice
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James Suckling
A full and round style that is fruit-forward but still shows form and freshness. Lots of ripe plum, berry and chocolate character. Better in 2017.
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Wine Spectator
Intense and vibrant, with a zesty mix of vivid wild berry, blackberry, crushed rock and licorice flavors, ending with a long, tapered finish. Shows some tannic grip on the aftertaste, and should only get better. Drink now through 2026.
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.