Winemaker Notes
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Deep, dark, and fragrant, from a producer known for delivering consistent quality. Clean, lush, and dense with ripe plum, a core of juicy acidity, and a rich, long finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Blended with 20% Cabernet Franc, this red is sturdy in graphite, black currant and oak, with substantial body weight and tannin. Hints of black olive and dried herb figure into the mix well, with the Franc’s contribution of violet aromatics and a lasting tease of chocolate. This will do well to cellar; enjoy best from 2027 through 2030.
-
Wine Spectator
Juicy loganberry and raspberry notes show good lift and energy, with light mesquite and sassafras details in the mix. Well-focused, delivering the impression of fresh acidity that marks this vintage. Drink now through 2030.
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
20% Cabernet Franc. There are full-throated Cabernets that are defined by their ripeness and richness and others that are rather more restrained and pulled back, and there are some, such as this one, that find a happy middle ground and speak explicitly of the variety’s curranty richness and range without raising their voice. It is moderately full-bodied and long on fruity confidence with glimmers of complexity to come, and, if not driven off course by excessive astringency, it is structured to keep and gracefully age for a good half-dozen or more years.
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.