Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is the real deal with lead pencil and oyster shell. Currant undertones. Full body and fine tannins. Flavorful and intense. A beauty. A shame it's the last vintage! Drink now or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most underrated wines in the entire Etude portfolio are their Cabernet Sauvignons. I had a chance to taste from the great 2013 vintage. They are all noteworthy achievements. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (like all of the others), shows a dense opaque purple color, notes of pen ink, blackberry, licorice, creosote and a long, full-bodied, heady mouthfeel. This is a much smaller production cuvée than usual because 46 barrels were destroyed in the earthquake in August 2014. This wine should drink well for 10-15 years. Rating: 90+
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.