Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: In all of my years of following the Davis Family Vineyards, I have always thought of them as a Pinot Noir producer. When I tasted the 2014 Cab 5, I was pleasantly surprised. TASTING NOTES: This wine is powerful and well-balanced. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit and savory oak last long on the palate and should be perfect in a pairing with a ribeye. (Tasted: September 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
From a 2,000-foot-elevation site on Rockpile Ridge, this blends together 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 21% Malbec, 8% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Thick and juicy, it delivers a core of black fruit, leather, lead and refined cedar and dried herb. The tannin structure is substantial and age-worthy. Enjoy best from 2024–2028.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
High elevation vineyards—800 to 2,100 feet—on well-drained soils of red and brown clay loam, gravel and large rock outcroppings produce low yields of intense, high-quality fruit. Surrounded by Northern Sonoma County and overlapping Dry Creek Valley in its northwest corner, the Rockpile AVA produces some of California most powerful Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.