Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
As to the red from winemaker Celia Welch, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon comes mostly from Pritchard Hill as well as Oakville and Rutherford. It has an awesome bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, cedar shavings, and dried flowers. Incredibly complex, it doesn’t lose a beat on the palate and is medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, and incredibly purity of fruit. As with all the wines Celia makes, it’s impeccably balanced. It can be drunk today with plenty of pleasure, yet I suspect it will be even better with 4-5 years of bottle age and drink nicely for 15-20 years or more. Rating: 95+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This project started in 2004. Grapes come from Celia Welch's own vineyard—50% from Pritchard Hill and 50% from Oakville/Rutherford. The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 22 months in 70% new French oak. Deep purple-black in color, it reveals vibrant notes of black cherries, black raspberries and cassis with hints of chocolate box, violets, damp soil, menthol and cumin seed plus a touch of black olives. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy with a solid core of muscular black fruits sparked with loads of earth and floral notes, finishing very long.
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.