Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This nicely made wine balances juicy black fruit with black licorice, flinty dried herb and a velvety texture. Medium bodied, it shows structure and grace within a context of ripeness and depth.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The majestic Napa Valley: many experts consider this place to be one of the great Meccas of the wine world. I concur and have enjoyed my fair share of wines from this region. As the valley's fame grew, so did its prices. Today it is sometimes difficult to find top Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons in the $50 range, and in the $30.00 range it is nearly impossible. The 2013 Carpe Diem Cabernet Sauvignon— an excellent performer over the years—is one of the vintage's top wines and is clearly an unsurpassed deal amongst first-rate Napa Valley Cabs. The wine exhibits ripe red and black fruits, sweet oak, and a load of sweet tannins. I was initially fooled by this wine's power and thought that it was too hard, but a little bit of aeration solved that issue. Drinks nicely now.
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.