Winemaker Notes
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.2% Merlot, 5.8% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh and minty with spearmint and dark fruit. Blackberry and black olive. Medium-bodied with lovely density of firm, juicy fruit. Freshness and intensity. Forest-floor character. Delicious finish. Holding on beautifully. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
Marked by strong, dry tannins now, which lock it down and make it astringent through the finish. Yet beneath the toughness is plenty of ripe fruit, with waves of blackberries and black currants. Oak shows up as toast, and also contributes to the tannins. Nowhere near ready, this wine should begin to come into its own after 2011.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Offers notes of cigar box, roasted coffee, chicory, blackberry and wild berry, with touches of dried herb and cedar. Ends with firm, ripe tannins and good length.—2005 California Cabernet blind retrospective (September 2015). Drink now through 2022.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
One of Napa Valley steadiest performers, Freemark Abbey, has made excellent, top-notch Cabernet Sauvignons over the decades. The 2005 Sycamore Vineyard has developed well over time. The wine's complex flavors include red currants, savory spices, and powdery earth. Pair now with grilled lamb chops. (Tasted: April 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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.