Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Bright red-currant flavors give this wine a feeling of lightness and finesse. The tannins have dimension without feeling heavy or extracted, adding tree-bark scents and lasting spice. Clean and generous, this is open in its youth and balanced for current drinking, though it only gets better with air.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley release from Montelena has a beautiful bouquet that just jumps from the glass. Lovely notes of crème de cassis, violets, tobacco, and orange blossom all give way to a ripe, medium to full-bodied, sweetly fruited Cabernet Sauvignon that shows the charm of the 2015 front and center. It will keep for 10-15 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.