Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia is fabulous. Rich, exotic and explosive, the 2018 captures all the best qualities of the year. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, licorice, spice, lavender and pencil shavings all run through the 2018. The Coach Insignia is one of the classiest and most classic Cabernets in Calistoga. Readers who like old-school Cabernets will flip over the 2018.
Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of boysenberries, cloves, dried violets and some eucalyptus. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Flavorful and smooth.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia comes all from Calistoga. This solid, balanced, nicely textured wine is very much in the style of the 2018 vintage with its nicely focused, structured profile. Loads of spiced red and black currants, cedar wood, candied violets, and dried herb-like notes as well as a touch of chocolate emerge from the glass, and it offers firm yet ripe tannins, solid overall balance, and outstanding length. It can be enjoyed today, but I suspect 2-3 years of bottle age will do it well, and it should keep for 10-15 years after that.
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Decanter
Subdued but perfumed on the nose, showing aromas of fresh lavender, asphalt and charred pomegranates. The palate is textbook Calistoga Cabernet, showing a taught, clean, high-toned profile. Finishes with fine, polished acidity and long, powdery tannins.
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.