Winemaker Notes
The Perrarus Block 1 – Saint Helena Vineyard can be best described as a gravel bed of crushed rock, shaped like a football field. Pure drainage and extreme minerality and graphite profiles. Stones No. 1 also benefits from a special, and even more dense addition of a rare Clone 6 selection from our Perrarus Block 2 Pritchard Hill Vineyard.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 1 comes from the Beckstoffer Las Piedras vineyard in St. Helena. This is sensational Cabernet Sauvignon – black/ruby/purple with lots of cassis, a hint of lead pencil shavings, licorice and white chocolate. The wine has superb texture, an opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a rich, layered finish. Drink over the next 12-15 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.