Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch, from a vineyard on Howell Mountain, is the darkest and deepest of these offerings from Cakebread. Sweet grilled herbs, flowers, oak and raspberry jam are some of the nuances that emerge from this vivid, textured wine. It possesses striking inner perfume and fabulous balance from start to finish. This is all power and class. In 2008 the final blend includes 5% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.
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Wine Spectator
Tight and well-built, offering a dense mix of dried currant, blackberry, cedar and tobacco flavors, with just enough flesh. Ends with firm, chewy tannins and good length. Drink now through 2025.
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.