Winemaker Notes
High-toned fruit with notes of black cherry, ripe cassis and nuances of spice and chocolate derived from the oak aging. Seductively lush wine from the front to the end, balanced with the black cassis fruit and a structure that is sure to age gracefully.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 22 months in 70% new French oak, is a relatively limited cuvée of 300 cases. It is a stunner, with an opaque purple color, a big sweet kiss of blackberry and crème de cassis, a touch of camphor and incense followed by a lush, full-bodied wine with layers of fruit and glycerin. The wine is dense, impressive and both hedonistic and intellectually satisfying. It should drink well for at least 15-20+ years.
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Vinous
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is a slender, nervous wine, its considerable power notwithstanding. Graphite, dried flowers, espresso, cloves and lavender play off a core of dark-fleshed fruit. Overall, the Cabernet seems to have fared a bit less well than the Proprietary Red. I suspect intense mountain Cabernet tannins and the highly extracted style favored here during this era contribute to a wine that feels rather compact. These days, owners Christine O'Sullivan and Jim Bean pursue a very different style, but it is always incredibly instructive to see how the wines of the past have aged.
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.