Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, which spends significant time in oak, can be one of California's most riveting wines. First made in 1975, there have been some exceptionally concentrated, powerful wines that are still young and evolving (i.e, the 1978, 1976, and 1975). The decade of the eighties produced less profound Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignons, with the exception of the 1984 and 1985. Since then, the wine has moved to less of a blockbuster style, with the emphasis on more elegance, without sacrificing the wine's richness and intensity.
-
Wine Spectator
Mature red garnet in color. Aromas of sour black cherry, anise and blackberry carry over to the palate, where it's silky smooth, with fine-grained, integrated tannins. Finishes with a pretty sour cherry candy aftertaste.--1985 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now. 1,000 cases made.
Covering the most vine acreage in the state compared to any other red wine variety, Cabernet Sauvignon produces as much wine in California as Merlot and Pinot Noir combined. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates, as well as the freedom of its winemakers, allow for an incredible range of wine styles from this single grape.
California’s most famous region—and especially for Cabernet Sauvignon—is the acclaimed Napa Valley. While Cabernet is successful throughout the world, rarely has it achieved such merit as it does from the Napa Valley. At this point the two are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other.
Napa’s closest neighbor, Sonoma County, does an impressive job keeping up with Napa’s fame and glory. Alexander Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain and Knights Valley contribute to the lot of some of California’s top-rated Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lake County in California’s North Coast has become a focus for some of Napa’s more respected growers. From the Central Coast come iconic examples of classic California Cabernet; Lodi and the Sierra Foothills are great budget-friendly sources of amicable Cabernets.