Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A very fine Cabernet, although the tannins are a bit fierce now. Beyond the astringency are plush flavors of blackberries, black currants, cola, spices and sweet, smoky cedar. Needs time. Best 2011 and beyond.
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Wine & Spirits
Beaulieu's Rutherford bottling is consistently one of the best values in Napa Valley cabernet; this '06 release has both classic structure to its fruit and more contemporary, chocolatey tannin from new oak. It's refined, but the structure holds its shape and muscularity, with scents of cherries, cherry leaf and eucalyptus. A clean and generous cabernet to decant for roast game birds or roast beef.
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.