Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a site in Coombsville, which is a cooler region of the valley, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Meeting With The Mentor reveals a vivid purple color as well as an Haut-Brion-like bouquet of cassis, unsmoked tobacco, lead pencil, gravelly earth, and chocolate. This carries to a full-bodied, incredibly elegant Cabernet that, again, has a Pessac-like elegance and purity, with ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a beautiful sense of elegance paired with richness. It reminds me of some of the old school Cabernets from Napa Valley and is going to evolve for upwards of 30 years or more.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Situated in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley in the Vaca range, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy a long growing season mitigated by cool, San Pablo Bay fog.