Winemaker Notes
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A wine of beauty and strength, the 2014 Ghost Block Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon brings excellent density to the fore without sacrificing style and grace. The wine's layers of flavors deftly show blueberries, blackberries, and sweet oak. Pair it with a thick Porterhouse steak. (Tasted: August 31, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The exceptional 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard comes from Yountville in the southern sector of Napa. It offers an opaque purple color, a big sweet kiss of briary red and black fruits, licorice, crushed rock and forest floor. It is deep, round, opulent, full-bodied and should continue to drink well, as most top 2014 Cabernets will, for another 15-20+ years.
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.
One of Napa Valley's most historic sub-appellations, Yountville spreads through some of the valley's ideal cooler sites and enjoys success with a handful of different and significant grape varieties.
Syrah competes strongly with Cabernet Sauvignon here for optimal vineyard real estate followed by Pinot noir, Pinot blanc and Sauvignon blanc.
This sub-AVA of Napa Valley is rich in the history that makes Napa Valley what it is today, and not just for red wines. Moët & Chandon entered the California winemaking business via Yountville in 1973 with the establishment Domaine Chandon. Their goal has always been to produce top quality méthode champenoise sparkling wines.
Christian Moueix, originally responsible for managing Chateau Petrus and La Fleur-Petrus in Pomerol, arrived in Yountville in the early 1980s. He formed a partnership with Rohin Lail and Marcia Smith, inheritors of Napanook vineyard from their father John Daniel of Inglenook in Rutherford. In 1995 Moueix became sole owner of Napanook and chose the name Dominus, which today produces some of Napa’s highest scoring, age-worthy Bordeaux Blends.