Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard Deep Time rolls languorously out of the glass with subtle, slowly emerging scents of redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries, mulberries and cassis plus faint wafts of forest floor, oolong tea, potpourri, menthol and Indian spices. The full-bodied palate is firm, taut and solidly structured with ripe, grainy tannins, revealing loads of very tightly wound layers with coaxing, finishing very long and purely fruited. This wine was a little closed compared to other wines/vintages and therefore could well warrant a higher score when it comes out on the other side of this mute phase, in say 5-7 years.
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.