Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A smoking value in Napa Valley Cabernet, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon SMD is all varietal and was brought up a mix of new and used barrels. With full-bodied richness, moderate acidity, and a wonderful sense of purity, it has a distinct floral, exotic (which is textbook Spring Mountain) edge in its red and blue fruits, bay leaf, and foresty aromas and flavors. It’s up with the best Napa Cabernets under $100.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 SMD Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain bursts from the glass with ripe black and red cherries, lilacs, dark chocolate and licorice notes plus hints of cedar and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, fresh, finely grained and elegant, the palate offers a great intensity of crunchy black and red fruits, finishing long and fragrant.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.