Winemaker Notes
This Cabernet is opaque with a dark ruby-garnet color, complimentary to the rich dark aroma and flavor. The aromas of black currant, black cherry, berry and Santa Rosa plum are intertwined with the spicy sweetness of oak, cedar, cinnamon, clove and toast. The entry is soft, with dark cherry/berry flavors that develop from start to finish. With great texture and mouth feel, this Cabernet is full bodied, rich and opulent.
Blend: 75.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.1% Merlot, 7.1% Petit Verdot, 2.9% Malbec, 1.8% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes wafting out of the glass with fragrant, expressive warm cassis, baked plums and dried mulberries scents plus touches of dried lavender, dusty soil, tobacco and bay leaves. Medium-bodied, elegant and with lovely freshness lifting the evolved black fruits and earthy flavors, it finishes long and plush. 22,000 cases were made.
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.