Winemaker Notes
The 2016 vintage was the beginning of the end of the drought in Napa Valley. The vines were finally given a break with close to normal amount of rain in the winter preceding the vintage. 2016 was cooler overall than 2014 & 2015, it was warm and dry, but without the massive spikes in temperature that challenged the previous two years. 2016 was the kind of year where even a blind squirrel can find a nut, so most wineries could coast along and make good wine. We don’t coast, so 2016 was an epic vintage for us, one for the ages.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pure perfection in red wine, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith tops out on my scale and has everything I look for in wine. Deep purple-hued with a smorgasbord-like array of dark currants, smoked tobacco, new leather, camphor, and graphite, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. World class in every way, it already offers pleasure today given its balance and purity, but it will evolve for 30 years if well stored. This is legendary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith soars out of the glass with Black Forest cake, Indian spices, tobacco leaf, dried Provence herbs and smoked meats notes, with touches of damp soil, black truffles and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with layer upon earthy layer of nuanced black fruits, framed by finely grained tannins, finishing with a lifted, bright red fruit burst. It's like a complex scent puzzle that only begins to make sense when knitted with the textures in the mouth and then long after the wine has been swallowed. Still incredibly youthful, give it another 5 years in the cellar, at least, and drink it over the next 40 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.