Winemaker Notes
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon 55% Slope Impassable Mountain Reserve (14.9% alcohol) exhibits a knock-out set of aromatics, including creme de cassis, licorice, barbecue smoke and roasted meats, gorgeous sweetness and sucrosity, a broad, savory, full-bodied mouthfeel, true opulence, velvety tannins, and a blockbuster finish lasting nearly 50 seconds. This magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon should drink well for 20 years.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.