Winemaker Notes
On the nose, this wine exhibits aromas of huckleberry and vanilla, as well as hints of fresh tobacco, nutmeg, and blood orange. One the palate, it displays fresh, red berry fruit and a firm tannin structure. It has a fabulous aromatic density and complexity while maintaining a nimble and elegant appearance.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, notes of black cherries, leafy herbs, currants, and spice-box all emerge from the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine, which is all from Yountville and will see 17 months in French oak before being moved to larger oak casks prior to bottling. Medium to full-bodied, firm, focused, and tight, with a classic, old-school style, it has enough tannin to warrant short-term cellaring.
Range: 90-93 -
James Suckling
Plenty of depth and richness of fruit here, this has appealingly ripe blueberries and sweetly fragrant oak spice in abundance. The palate is delivered in a neatly arranged and layered style with ripe and smooth blueberries and a flurry of sweetly spiced, ripe blackcurrants and plums to close. Drink or hold
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-black colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Old Vine opens with cassis, plums, violets and fragrant earth with notions of tobacco and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and lithe yet well defined in the mouth with a grainy frame and refreshing herbal lift on the long finish.
Rating: 93+ -
Decanter
Sweetly-fruited with vibrant plums, damsons and black cherries. Lots of complexity and concentration, toasty oak, and leafy notes on the nose.
As a family-owned and operated winery, Grgich Hills Estate is committed to crafting wines of the highest standard and consistency. Their dedication to these principles has led to the achievement of Regenerative Organic Certification for all five of their estate vineyards in December 2022. This system prioritizes the long-term health and longevity of their vines, revitalizes the land, and allows for the creation of wines that are unmatched in their quality and expression of terroir.
It is with a spirit of curiosity, discovery, and excellence that Miljenko “Mike” Grgich and partner Austin Hills founded Grgich Hills Estate in 1977, after Mike’s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the famed 1976 Paris Tasting. These values propel Grgich Hills Estate forward as they continue to make exquisite wines, while pioneering a sustainable future for Napa Valley.
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.