Winemaker Notes
Intensity from start to finish! The color is a very dark garnet, with a vibrant blue-purple edge where wine meets glass. Aromas of red and black fruit, barrel spices and delicate floral notes show first, with subtle earthiness playing in the background. With a sip, big lush fruit notes are immediately prominent, as cherry, blackberry, and boysenberry dance. Graham cracker and tobacco follow, joining the fruit more than replacing it. Tannins are soft and plush from beginning to end, allowing the marvelous fruit flavors to linger.
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc from the Silverado Trail side of the valley, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Phase V sports a deep purple color as well as a lush, sexy style in its blueberry, cassis, graphite, white chocolate, and tobacco leaf aromas and flavors. With full-bodied richness and depth, a big, opulent texture, sweet tannins, and a big finish, it packs serious amounts of pleasure and is a stunning 2017.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Phase V, containing 17% Cabernet Franc, is very deep purple-black in color and delivers intense scents of warm black cherries, kirsch, fresh black currants and black raspberries with touches of lavender, fallen leaves, black tea and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, refreshing and elegantly played, it has a lovely crunchiness to the fruit with a chewy frame and herbal lift to the finish.
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.