Winemaker Notes
Opening with complex aromas of blackberry, blue plum, violet, and a hint of fresh herbs, this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is vibrant and expressive. On the palate, notes of cherry, dark chocolate, cassis, and toasted almonds are intertwined with fresh acidity, supple tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Refined and earth-driven, showing tightly wound black-fruit aromas with underlying notes of graphite, bitter chocolate and cured meats. The palate is focused and pure with finely tuned tannins and a generous yet precise palate.
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Wine Enthusiast
Expressive with the potential to age,this Cabernet captures the inky dark fruits, dark chocolate, and cascade of fresh herbs so classic to the cuvée,with the intensity and lengthy structure of the vintage.
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Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a fabulous entry-level offering in this range. Bright, aromatic and punchy, the 2023 is seriously beautiful from start to finish. Rose petal, spice and new leather meld into a core of dark red/purplish fruit. There's a good bit of tannin, making this a pretty serious appellation wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A super value in ready-to-drink Napa Cab, Clos du Val's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is actually a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot. Black cherries dominate the nose, joined by hints of cassis and tobacco leaf, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is firm without being hard or edgy and finishes long and silky.
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Wine Spectator
This is fresh and juicy, with a slightly understated style to its black cherry and blackberry compote flavors, all laced with light singed alder and savory hints and then dusted with a cocoa note on the finish. Drink now through 2033.
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.