Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Shows a return to the form of Souverain's glory days. Beautiful and complex, with luscious flavors of blackberries, currants and dried herbs, wrapped into soft, smooth tannins. Really classy. Best now and through 2012.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The finest of the group is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker’s Reserve. Aromas and flavors of espresso roast, sweet toasty oak, black currants, licorice, and spice box are present in this medium-bodied Cabernet. With soft tannins as well as a velvety, savory mouthfeel, it can be drunk now and over the next decade.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.