Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with rich beef, pork or lamb dishes.
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select is a stunner. Aged 22 months in 54% new French oak, the wine has a dense, blackish/blue color, a beautiful nose of graphite, blackberry, blueberry, a touch of charcoal embers and spice. It’s youthful, restrained and holding back somewhat. Nevertheless, this is a super-impressive wine that will age effortlessly for 25-30 years. In fact, I don’t think it’s going to hit its peak for another 5-7 years. This is a beauty.
Rating: 94+
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James Suckling
A red with dried fruit, lots of black currant and mineral undertones. Full body, velvety tannins. Savory finish. Shiitake mushrooms too. Delicious finish.
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.