Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon was made during a transitional period for Bryant when the winery was being constructed and a dramatic change in the winemaking was taking place, from Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer, who had made all the vintages until 2002, to Philippe Melka and Mark Aubert, and of course today, a new team. One of the finest vineyards of Napa Valley, Bryant is situated high in the Lake Hennessey region. While the 2002 is not one of their all-time great wines, it is performing beautifully, revealing plenty of classic notes of blueberry liqueur intermixed with acacia flower, incense, camphor and graphite notes. Full-bodied, opulent and generous, with low acidity, it can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years.
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Wine Spectator
This intense Cab boasts a muscular presence, dense, tannic and chewy, with a tight core of dried currant, mineral, sage and cedar flavors. Tannins suggest this will always be so.
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.