Winemaker Notes
This wine shows deep ruby in hue with a bouquet of crushed violets, red currant, and black plum. A bounty of concentrated black fruits is featured on the palate, accompanied by dried herbs and cacao. Structured tannins provide this full-bodied wine with a unique depth along with a lively acidity that gives tension to a long, seamless finish.
Pair with grilled skirt steak with shiso chimichurri.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A juicy and flavorful red with real Napa character from vineyards in Calistoga and Coombsville. Medium-bodied with juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. Currant and hints of mint. But reserved and focused. Shows tension. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
An alluring red, with a menthol note out front, followed by a slow-moving core of boysenberry and blackberry reduction flavors. Shows ample anise and bramble through the grippy, toasty finish, where the menthol note takes an encore. Best from 2025 through 2035.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended from Coombsville and Calistoga fruit, Crossbarn's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a terrific bargain, made by Paul Hobbs. It's purple-fruited, with scents of cassis, blackberries and blueberries framed by hints of vanilla and cedar on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and concentrated, with a long, softy dusty finish. With just 8% new French oak—the bulk of the barrels are second and third use—the quality of the fruit really shines through.
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Wine Enthusiast
Mouthwatering and flavorful, this satisfying Cabernet Sauvignon greets the palate with flavors of black plum, wet tobacco, and dark hot chocolate. Powdery palate coating tannins enliven a spiced and lengthy, long finish.
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Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is stellar, and also a fine value. A blast of blackberry, spice, lavender, mint, chocolate and dried herbs races across the palate. This deep, ample Cabernet Sauvignon from Paul Hobbs hits all the right notes. Today, it is supremely delicious.
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.