Winemaker Notes
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 90-95% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, the dense purple-colored 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses sweet blackberry and cassis fruit, a deep, full-bodied, opulent, precocious, showy style, and 10 years of evolution ahead of it.
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Wine Spectator
Aromas of charcoal, graphite, spice, blackberry and black licorice introduce this robust effort, which trims down to a firmer expression, with fine-grain, dusty tannins. Drink now through 2024.
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.