Winemaker Notes
A classic Cabernet Sauvignon that is blended with Merlot to add complexity and round out the mid-palate, this is a layered, mouth-filling wine with ripe, integrated tannins and a fine-grained finish. Dark aromas of toffee, hickory, bacon, cedar and smoke are contrasted by vibrant elements of red currant and spearmint. On the palate, black currant and blueberry flavors dominate, underscored by notes of earth and oak.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
If anyone needs proof that Napa Valley can still grown honest cabernet, structured rather than softened by tannins, taste this wine from Duckhorn. It’s balanced and firm, with plenty of alcohol to fire the earthiness. Its structure is completely filled by dark fruit and fruit-skin flavors of blueberries and black cherries. There's a lasting wild mushroom fruitiness to the tannin as well, adding depth to the wine and strengthening its potential to age.
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Wine Spectator
Lively, supple plum, black cherry and wild berry fruit is elegant, polished and full-bodied, with lots of finesse, fine-grained tannins and a long, smooth finish. Drink now through 2016.
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.