Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Mythicus Paradise Hills Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the upper blocks behind the winery building, where poor soils of compressed volcanic ash result in tiny canopies and small yields. Graphite, incense, new leather, licorice, plum and espresso all build in the glass. Somber and quite brooding, yet also medium in body, the 2015 Mythicus dazzles from start to finish. Time in the glass brings out power and structure. It is, without question, one of the wines of the vintage.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Even better than the Proprietary Red is the 2015 Mythicus Paradise Hills Vineyard which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made from the best barrels in the vintage. Spellbinding stuff that offers incredible purity in its crème de cassis, white chocolate, crushed rock and graphite aromas and flavors, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, integrated acidity, and again, sensational purity of fruit. As polished and seamless as they come, give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following 2+ decades. There are a tiny 140 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Mythicus Paradise Hills Vineyard is medium to deep garnet-purple colored, with a fragrant nose of black pepper, cloves, lilacs and anise over a core of warm blueberries and black forest cake, plus a hint of cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and muscular, packed with primary black berry flavors and great tension, finishing on a persistent mineral note. Give it a good 3-4 years in bottle and drink it over the following 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.