Winemaker Notes
This wine opens with concentrated aromas expressing characteristics of the famed Rutherford Dust. Flavors of red fruit along with blackberry, black currant, and elderberry play into the foreground, with dense tannins enveloping the palate. The midpalate offers lingering undertones of dried herbs, graphite, and citrus that lead to a savory finish of bittersweet chocolate and tobacco.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Sweet black cherry, black olive and charred red meat with graceful, enticing aromas of flowers, blackberries and blackcurrants. Clove and tobacco finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet-black color and nose of black and red berries, earth and herbs with savory hints. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, chewy and lively.
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James Suckling
A very assertive, powerful and alluringly fresh nose with lively boysenberry and blackberry aromas, leading to a palate that offers a succulent core of fresh, rich and deep-set fruit flavors. Superb depth and richness here.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Grgich Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is classic Napa Valley—black-fruited, a hint of dust, and well-built. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with blackcurrants, mineral, and black dirt. Pair it with a juicy, grill ribeye and a friend to share the moment. (Tasted: June 9, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.