Winemaker Notes
This rich, fruit-forward wine calls for succulent, flavorful dishes such as grilled tenderloin with roasted shallots, and creamy bleu cheeses.
Blend: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Very ripe nose of black currant, blackberry, cedar, toast and violet. Rocky minerality with a lovely concentration. This rich palate is balanced by great freshness and round, well-integrated tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
Black Stallion 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Here’s another fantastic value from Black Stallion, which has an uncanny ability to produce Cabernets of great depth and charm that can stand against more expensive wines. This 2011 is dry, full-bodied and rich in flavors of black currants. It might even age, but there’s no reason not to enjoy it now. Editor's Choice
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.