Winemaker Notes
Gamble Family Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made with grapes selected from some of our favorite Napa Valley vineyards. The Napa Valley stretches far across many different soils and microclimates, and the combination of these diverse vineyard selections gives this wine its rich character and complexity.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of ripe blackberries, spiced plums, chocolate, coffee and bark. Full-bodied with plush, polished tannins and a velvety texture. Smooth, creamy and chocolatey.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even better than the 2017, Gamble's 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes across as slightly riper and richer. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and 3% Malbec, it reveals hints of barrel char and grilled meat on the nose, plus plenty of black cherries. Full-bodied and velvety textured, with a long, lingering finish, give this another year or two in the cellar and drink it over the following decade. When released, it should be a solid value in the rarified world of Napa Valley Cabernet.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a well-made red, blended with Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, then aged in French, Hungarian and American oak. Black pepper, cigar and toasted oak notes combine around a force of black currant, the wine offering a touch of reduction.
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.