Winemaker Notes
The 2011 vintage was a much cooler, wetter vintage than many in the past. It caused us to look at our winemakingmethods differently, while still holding to our stylistic foundation. As you open the album that is the 2011Cardinale, you will find the familiar flavors of dark cherries and milk chocolate, with a velvety mouthfeel and longfinish. But you will also find elements that pay homage to the vintage that helped create it with notes of currants,Asian spice, and rosemary.
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Chris Carpenter’s flagship blend is stately and intricate in 2011. Definitive, complex aromas of redwood, dried cassis, fennel and pipe tobacco. The palate is svelte and persistent, showing perfect balance between dark fruits, earthy tones and live-wire energy. One of the great showings of 2011 Napa Cabernet. Drinking Window 2021 - 2036
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Winemaker Christopher Carpenter, who is also responsible for the wines of Lokoya, has fashioned an opaque ruby/purple-colored 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon offering notes of black cherries, black currants, and spicy oak, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, low acidity and light but sweet tannin. Another strong effort in this challenging vintage, it should drink well for 10-12 years.
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.