Winemaker Notes
This signature Cabernet reveals intense, deep layers of crème de cassis, barbecue smoke, graphite, blackberry and freshly cut flowers that excite the palate. Incredibly long and round.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It seems fully mature, but what a great, great Cabernet Sauvignon the 2002 Tychson Hill Vineyard is. Tasting like a hypothetical blend of a first growth Pauillac and a great Napa Cab, this world-class wine has a gorgeous nose of white chocolate, sweet black currants, acacia flowers and cedar as well as a hint of toast. With a full-bodied, voluptuously textured, opulent mouthfeel, gorgeously silky tannin and an evolved set of aromatics, the flavors have resolved all the tannin and the wine is now perfectly balanced. It is a real tour de force, so for those who are sitting on any appreciable stock of this, you’re lucky, but at the same time, I would start drinking it up, as I think it needs to be consumed over the next decade.
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.