Winemaker Notes
Intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, ink, tar and gravel emanate from the glass. Big and rich on the palate with velvety tannins and age-worthy acid. Rich oak flavors with a fine finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Vineyards Reserve is fabulous. I loved it as a young wine, and I love it today. Rich and textured, with gorgeous mid-palate sweetness, the 2015 offers a captivating mix of exotic vintage 2015 fruit and old-school structure. Black-toned fruit, lavender, spice, licorice, incense and chocolate all meld together effortlessly. Ripeness is pushed a bit, but not too far. The 2015 spent 30 months in barrel, with 30% new French oak.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Vineyards Reserve (aged 20 months in 50% new French oak) sports deep ruby/purple color as well as terrific notes of crème de cassis, smoked earth, toasty oak and hints of violets. This medium to full-bodied beauty offers a great mid-palate, ripe, present tannin and a great finish. While it’s twice the price of the base cuvee, you do certainly do get more wine.
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.