Winemaker Notes
Dark and brooding in the glass, our 2019 Hommage Cabernet Sauvignon is bursting with ripe plums, black cherries and notes of cassis. On the palate the black fruits linger and mix with a hint of crushed cassia bark and toasted oak and are surrounded by strong, balanced tannins and notes of espresso and dark chocolate.
This wine is bold and sensuous with a silky texture and lengthy finish that pairs perfectly with wild mushroom risotto.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Winemaker Robin Akhurst, a protégé of Thomas Rivers Brown, sources grapes from the oldest vines in this 16ha vineyard in the foothills of Mount St Helena. A classic mix of blackberry, graphite and cedar lead to a pretty palate of juicy boysenberry, black cherry and cherry pit. Fresh and layered with fine-grained tannins and a firm acid backbone, this will reward with cellar ageing.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From an estate vineyard northeast of Calistoga, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hommage Tenma Vineyard features deep aromas of earthy loam, mint and black cherries. The wine is full-bodied but silky and elegant in feel, with a long finish. The overall impression is high gloss—perhaps overly polished for some tastes.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hommage is a big, exuberant 2019 revealing tons of ripe red and black fruits as well as tobacco, dried herbs, and candied violets. Full-bodied, ripe, and opulent, it has some background tannins that should allow it to evolve for 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
Savory licorice, cloves and tobacco on top of graphite and plums. A medium-bodied Napa cab, marked by chewy tannins and salted, savory fruit on the palate. Shows some good length.
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.