Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is very focused and condensed with characters of blackberroes, forest floor, mushrooms and chocolate. Full-bodied, dense and chewy with very polished tannins, which give this wine exceptional form and tension. Bright fruit and impressive intensity. Needs four to five years to soften. Try in 2022.
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Vinous
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Elevation 1147 has reached its tenth birthday in great shape. It is a bit more aromatic and less overtly fruit-driven than the decidedly more opulent Old Vine Cabernet. Sweet dried red fruit, tobacco, cedar, kirsch and perfumed floral/savory overtones weave together in a fabric of notable class.
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.