Winemaker Notes
From such a steep hillside it is easy to be impressed. Oakville is ground zero for Cabernet in Napa and this wine shows all of that. Black in color with an aromatic complexity that shows off its full concentration of black fruits. The mouth continues with Black cherry, blueberry and plum leading to a multi-layered palate of dark fruits, vanilla, black currant and the ideal tannin volume that makes this wine last in the mouth. Northern slopes yield a great richness today but easy to enjoy over the next 25 years.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Aromas of dried violets and black- berry lead to a well-developed mouthfeel embedded with black-cherry preserves, vanilla, and cedar. Underlying notes of creamy cinnamon, boysen- berry, and sweet tobacco are threaded with slate.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, plums, olives, cedar, coconut, red chili pepper and baking spices. Full-bodied and tightly wound with fresh acidity. Plenty of dark berries and chocolate on the palate. Compact, fresh and long.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Game Ranch seems to have it all: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all new French oak for 30 months and a top-flight location just west of the Silverado Trail in Oakville. Layers of cedar and vanilla unfold on the nose, backed by ample cassis fruit, but while the medium to full-bodied palate is pleasantly refreshing and softly textured, there's a certain lack of richness on the mid-palate that holds this wine back, despite its evident charms and lengthy finish. It's still delicious and easy to drink, so don't overlook it, just don't expect Macy's-level fireworks.
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Wine & Spirits
Nick Goldschmidt makes this wine from a vineyard on the eastern side of the Napa Valley fl oor, o Oakville Crossroad. This is a sleek cabernet that’s all about sweet richness in its purple berry fl avors, layered with scents of jasmine and butterscotch in a bright, seamless and clean red. It ends on a smoky note, ready to pour with grilled sirloin.
Yolyn and Nick Goldschmidt are owner/vintners, and Nick is the winemaker. The winery offices are located in Healdsburg. Both originally from New Zealand, Yolyn and Nick have spent time living and working in the wine areas of New Zealand, Australia and South America.
Their focus is Cabernet Sauvignon from two prestigious vineyards in Northern California — Vyborny Vineyard, located on the northeastern slope in the Alexander Valley, and Game Ranch, located on an old river bottom on the eastern bench of the Silverado Trail. Both showcase the optimum silhouettes of Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Napa Valley.
The rolling hills and gentle slopes near the town of Sebastopol were once home to apple orchards filled with songbirds. By the early 1990’s though, most of the orchards were replanted with grapes. The factors that define a quality Chardonnay vineyard are numerous, but Nick Goldschmidt believes matching varietal and rootstock to the right vineyard site yields the most flavorful grapes.
High quality grapes grow only under certain optimum soil conditions, including a balance of nutrients within certain clays. These clay minerals play a critical role, as they can retain water and act as harbors for nutrients better than other soil types. Clays that offer slow nutrient transfer to grape vine plants are preferred. The highest quality grapes grow on the fine-grained, shallow marine quartz sandstones of the Wilson Grove Formation, where Singing Tree is located. These formations tend to produce soils that are well balanced in nutrient content and water retention.
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.