Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This stunning, inky/plum/purple-tinged 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection boasts a glorious fragrance of creme de cassis, licorice, toasty oak, spice box, cassis and vanillin. Full-bodied, opulent, flashy and irresistible, this endearing, plush, exuberant, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon is 3-5 years away from full maturity, yet it is already complex and rewarding. It should last for another two decades.
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Wine Spectator
Lots of rich, creamy oak and a tasty core of ripe currant, plum and black cherry fruit combine to form this notably complex and concentrated young wine. Delicious from start to finish, with a long, fruity aftertaste and fine-grained tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
Manages to feel both soft and tannic at the same time, which means it's fine now but should age for a few years. The blackcurrant and smoky oak flavors are harmonious, with sweet fruit lasting through a long finish.
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.