Winemaker Notes
Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon needs a little swirling to reveal wonderfully pure blackcurrant cordial, ripe black cherries and mulberries scents with suggestions of incense, lavender, pencil shavings and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses bags of elegance and grace, featuring bright, crunchy black berry and earthy flavors with a finely grained texture and oodles of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
Rating: 95+ -
Jeb Dunnuck
Checking in as a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon sports a dense purple color as well as a beautifully balanced, full-bodied, elegant style that carries classic crème de cassis fruit as well as notes of tobacco leaf, lead pencil shavings, damp earth, chocolate, and spice. I love this beauty’s elegance, and it has building tannins as well as a solid spine of acidity that keeps it fresh and lively. It’s a joy to drink now with a short decant, yet it will have two decades of overall prime drinking.
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.