Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As for the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, this is another Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine (95% with the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Built along the same lines as its cellarmates, it is inky purple in color, with notes of pen ink, licorice, black truffle, forest floor, blackberry and blueberry fruit. The wine has terrific aromatics, a stunning attack and mid-palate, and a finish of close to 45+ seconds. It is a big wine, but again, the velvety plushness of the 2014 vintage is on full display. Drink it over the next two decades.
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.