Winemaker Notes
#61 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
Named in honor of Frank Family’s Founder Richard Harvey Frank, this Cabernet sees small additions of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. It is soft and supple, with currant and blackberries at its core. A mix of cinnamon and dark chocolate play well against its savory components of dried herb and dusty earth.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A broad, well-structured version, with a serious core of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry paste flavors that meld steadily with melted black licorice, alder and warm earth hints. Reveals subtle violet and black tea nuances that hang in the background, staying fine-grained through the rich finish. A big wine, with nice poise. Best from 2024 through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming all from Rutherford, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon RHF checks in as a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% each Petit Verdot and Merlot, and the final 1% Cabernet Franc. Beautiful crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, violet, and cedar pencil-like aromas give way to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet with a seamless, elegant texture, beautiful mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a great finish. Another impeccably made Cabernet Sauvignon from this team, it has a classic, almost Old World style yet still brings plenty of California fruit. This beauty will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and evolve for 15-20 years or more.
Rating: 94+ -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon RHF has a deep garnet-purple color and expressive notes of baked red and black currants, black raspberries and Black Forest cake with hints of pencil shavings, cinnamon stick, red roses and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers loads of tightly wound black and red fruit layers with compelling mineral sparks and a fine-grained texture, finishing with a fantastic burst of freshness.
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.