Winemaker Notes
On the nose, the 2016 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon opens with very focused fresh, ripe black cherry and blackberry aromas. In the background, scents of garrigue – lavender, thyme, and bay – emerge and build complexity. On the palate, the wine is superbly balanced to the point that it is difficult to identify individual flavor components, although cassis bud and blackberry do reveal themselves. The fine-grained, polished tannins are very much in harmony with the oak and exhibit an underlying firmness that continues throughout the long, lingering aromatic finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base cuvée is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec sourced all from Rutherford. It has a classic, Saint Julien-like bouquet of crème de cassis, tobacco lead, damp earth, and spice that gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, textured Cabernet that hits all the right marks. The top Rubicon release has a touch more elegant and precision, but this isn't far off. Drink this stunner any time over the coming 20 years or more.
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James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of ripe cabernet sauvignon with blackcurrants and perfume that follow through to a full body, firm and silky tannins and a pretty long finish. Shows poise and polish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with notions of cherry tart, redcurrant jelly, freshly crushed blackberries and wild blueberries with hints of pencil lead, tobacco and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate possesses plenty of juicy black and blue berries with a firm, chewy frame and savory finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This impressive wine opens in a bouquet of violet and dried herb, with an intensity of tannin power at its back. Red and black currant, cranberry and clove combine in a seam of textured complexity and nuanced flavor.
Cellar Selection
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Wine Spectator
Juicy blackberry and red currant fruit is stitched with bramble and anise notes, backed by an apple wood accent on the finish. Still a bit tight, so give this a little time.
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.