Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A surprise, big-time sleeper for me, as I have no previous experience with this winery. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dense ruby/purple, the wine shows plenty of blueberry and black raspberry fruit, cassis, licorice and incense. It hits the palate with the oak nicely disguised. The wine has beautiful texture, a full body, terrific purity and palate presence. It should drink nicely for 15-20 years, and merit serious attention. Apparently just over 550 cases were produced of this wine.
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Wine Enthusiast
Chappellet winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus helps make this wine, a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. While possessing a sizable tannin structure it remains balanced and elegant in cedar, pencil shavings, tart cranberry and cassis. It's rich and velvety.
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.