Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon appears to have clamped down a bit since I tasted it last year. An unusually up-front, juicy wine from Forman, the 2009 is laced with expressive dark red fruit, flowers, mint, cinnamon, licorice and menthol. There is a softness and suppleness to the 2009 that is impossible not to love. Layers of fruit continue to build on the juicy, silky finish. The 2009 looks to be one of the more accessible wines of the vintage, but it also needs at least several years to lose some of its baby fat and primary notes. The French oak is also a bit prominent, providing one clue as to the wine’s ultimate potential vis-a-vis the monumental 2010. The 2009 is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
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.