Winemaker Notes
This 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon continues to deliver complexity and depth representative of fruit that is usually destined for single-vineyard bottlings. Inky dark purple in the glass, this wine lends aromatics of ripe cherry, dusky violets, and baking spice. The near-sweetness of roasted meats on the nose causes a mouthwatering reaction. Rich, opulent and full-bodied, the initial impact rewards the sip with a coating of dense marionberry compote, toasted oak and baking chocolate. Fine tannins frame and blend with a balanced acidity to create a lasting finish. This wine is clearly ready to shine out of the gate, and has the horsepower to drink well into the future if a bottle can be tucked away in the cellar.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The forward 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley combines Pope Valley fruit with barrels that didn't make the cut for the single-vineyard wines, totaling 9,500 cases this vintage. Herbal overtones join black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate offers rich, almost sweet-tasting fruit, finishing supple and easy. Enjoy this terrific value on the young side.
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.