Winemaker Notes
An immediate attack on the senses. A dark ruby color leads a nose that is full and rich with dark fruit wafting from the glass alongside a touch of flinty clay. Soft and seductive over the palate and concluding with a silky finish and subtle oak overtones from fine French barrels.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a big, rich, dramatic Cabernet. The underlying fruit is spectacular, offering tiers of blackberries, black currants and cocoa, while 100% new French oak aging lends strong, but balanced, layers of toast. The tannins are ripe and sturdy, yet very finely ground. Really a beautiful example of the modern style, and should develop over the next six 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.