Winemaker Notes
Dried fruit, dark cherry, sassafras and Madagascar vanilla explode from the glass, and darker warmer fruit notes coat the profound yet evolved tannin profile. It is soft and approachable for a wine with such intense mountain pedigree. The acid brings freshness to the palate, allowing a long complex and focused finish. Will definitely improve with age but could enjoy now through 2025 or beyond. Blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot (Hershey and Lotus),3% Merlot (Hershey).
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The largest case production is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Onda, which is essentially their second wine culled from the top lots of Lotus, Hershey, Helms and Crystal Springs. It’s a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot (888 cases) that spent 20 months in 70% new French oak. The wine is deep ruby/purple, exhibits crème de cassis notes with some incense and subtle charcoal. It’s medium to full-bodied, silky smooth and clearly meant to be the wine that most consumers would want to drink earlier than the more saturated and denser single-vineyard wines. This should drink nicely for at least another 10-15 years.
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.