Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Tightly wound, with firm spice, cedar, dried currant and blackberry fruit. Full-bodied and focused, ending with a complex finish that echoes creosote, black tea and subtle berry notes. Best from 2012 through 2021
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Wine Enthusiast
A big, sweet, soft Napa Cab, made in the modern style. It means to dazzle with blackberry and blueberry jam, sweet new oak and chocolate flavors, and does. Too soft for aging, but delicious.
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.