Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
I love the purity of fruit in this red with dark berry, raspberry and fresh mint character. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long, stylish finish. Very impressive for the vintage. Drink or hold. Best ever from here.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Far superior to the 2011 is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from an Oakville source. It offers notes of baking spices, cedarwood, forest floor, blackcurrants and toasty barrique. Medium to full-bodied, opulent and voluptuous with low acidity as well as melted tannins, it can be enjoyed over the next decade.
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Wine Spectator
Firm, with mocha, dark berry, cedary oak, dried herb and underbrush notes that impart a drying sensation. The tannins are mild and integrated. The best of three bottles tasted. Drink now through 2028.
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.