Winemaker Notes
This elegant powerhouse all hails from highly-esteemed, volcanic Napa areas such as the Pritchard Hill area, Atlas Peak, and our very own Rockwell Ridge estate vineyard (35 feet below Howell Mountain). Barrel aged 23 months in 90% New French and Hungarian Oak.
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to reveal well-defined scents of redcurrant jelly, warm cassis and boysenberries, plus suggestions of camphor, tilled soil and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, restrained and refreshing in the mouth, it has a firm texture of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of mineral-laced, tightly wound black fruit layers, finishing with compelling energy.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another brilliant wine is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a deep purple-hued blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot. Black plums, currants, scorched earth, chocolate, and spice box notes dominate the nose of this beauty, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a seamless texture, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It displays the pure, polished, seamless style of the vintage, as well as the powerful, fruit-loaded style of this estate.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, blueberries, cooked cherries, toasted bread, chocolate and dried herbs. Full-bodied with velvety tannins. Plush and creamy with a punchy, chocolatey finish. Drink from 2023.
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.