Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from estate hillside vineyards, which make up 30% of the blend, alongside grapes sourced from other mature, low-yielding vineyards on the valley floor. Composed entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon, it reveals the full spectrum of aromas, flavors, and textures that the varietal can express in Napa Valley.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is powerful, dense and wonderfully expressive right out of the gate. Blackberry, chocolate, new leather and cloves are beautifully amplified. Large-scaled and yet super-finessed, the Estate is a terrific example of what readers can find here.
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Wine Spectator
Violet and hibiscus notes add nice lift to the plush core of well-defined blackberry and black currant fruit in this red, backed by a melted licorice snap note. Ripe and caressing, with the floral freshness chiming prettily through the finish. Drink now through 2036.
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James Suckling
A broad and intense cabernet showing chocolate, blackcurrants, baked cherries and mocha on the nose. Mouth-filling, fleshy and concentrated. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Layers of black plum, cedar and sweet oak coat the palate in this concentrated and bold wine. The tannins are persistent, leading to a long finish. Cocoa and tobacco emerge with further sipping.
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.