Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Aromas of dark berries and basil follow through to a full body, chewy tannins and a medium finish. Builds nice at the end with some raspberry character. Better in 2019.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Their larger cuvée of 800 cases is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Encosta, also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in 60% new oak. This opaque purple wine exhibits notes of charcoal, graphite, blackberry and blueberry fruit, forest floor and spring flowers. The wine is rich and easy to smell, taste and consume, given the low acidity and silky tannins. A touch of asphalt/tar seems to emerge as the wine sits in the glass. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.
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.