Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
If you don’t cellar this Cab, you’ll miss out on what it has to offer. It is a dry, deeply flavored, superbly structured wine, rich in tannins, with brooding depths of flavors ranging from black currants, cassis and licorice to hints of dried herbs and sweet, toasty cedar wood. The alcohol is on the high side, in the modern Napa style, but the wine wears its heat well. Start drinking it after 2018.
-
James Suckling
A solid, broad-shouldered cabernet with berry, mineral and rosemary character. Full body, chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Muscular, solid young cab for the vintage. Better in 2016.
-
Wine Spectator
Dense with rich, gripping tannins, this is slow to unfold but as it does it reveals a well-structured mix of dried dark berry, roasted herb, espresso and mocha. Gains depth and chewy tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2028.
-
Wine & Spirits
On the cool side of classical, this wine presents the cedar and dill scents of a lean cabernet, as well as the gravelly texture of the tannins that makes the variety so expressive. It shifts moods as it develops with air, first youthfully green, then warmer with purple fruit and tree bark–like spice. Overall tight and restrained, this will evolve well over the next several years. It grows at Groth’s Reserve block, 27 acres of cabernet on the Oakville Crossroads, replanted in 1999 and 2001.
Groth Vineyards & Winery is a family-owned company with deep roots in the Oakville AVA,
home to Napa Valley’s largest concentration of top Cabernet Sauvignon producers.
Dennis and Judy Groth made a life-changing investment in 1981 when they bought a vineyard on Oakville Cross Road, in the heart of Napa Valley, with hopes it would produce wines as special as their favorites from the region. It didn’t take long for their intuition to be proven right. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the distinction of being California’s first 100-point wine.
Today, with Dennis and Judy’s daughter, Suzanne Groth, as President & CEO, Groth sustainably farms 165 acres of estate vineyards with the dual goals of producing the highest-quality, most elegant wines we can while caring for our estate for future generations. The winery produces critically acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The 2016 Reserve Cabernet was ranked No. 4 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2019 list.
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.