Winemaker Notes
An intensely deep, ruby red color offers complex aromas of earthy sagebrush with garrigue-like floral notes to dark cocoa nibs and baked cassis-cherry compote. There are subtle notes of black tea, roasted pecans and brown Muscovado sugar. The palate is broad and expansive with chewy mineral-like tannins lingering on the finish. There are flavors of baked dark cherry, cassis and blackberry as well as chocolate toffee and black tea bergamot notes on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Elevation 1147 is a superstar and has a deep, concentrated, elegant, old-school style not far from what's achieved at Dominus and Spottswoode with their ultra-classic style, yet with its mountain terroir austerity and obvious structure front and center. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in mostly new oak, its deep black color is followed by a sensational perfume of blackcurrants and cassis fruits intermixed with notions of camphor, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, new saddle leather, and incredible minerality. Possessing a Latour-like stature and austerity, it's full-bodied, powerful, and concentrated, with silky yet building tannins. This is a Bordeaux lover’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Give it 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy it over the following 3-4 decades.
Rating:
98+ -
James Suckling
This pure cabernet sauvignon shows amazing aromas of black currants, violets and blueberries that follow through to a full yet very tight and fine-grained tannins. Extremely long and exciting. Purity and bright. Drink after 2022.
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.