Winemaker Notes
Opening with aromas of blackberries, cassis and forest floor, this indulgent and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon showcases great length and focus on the palate. Already elegant and well-structured at its release, this wine will continue to evolve in complexity and refinement for many years to come.
Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is plush, lush and fruity, interwoven with tones of cardamom and clove. The palate is rich in feel, bolstered by layers of orange peel, cassis and toasted oak flavors.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made up of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is scented of cedar, cassis and camphor with herbs and earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is vivacious with loads of fruit and a velvety texture with a refreshing finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon JAX Estate (97% Cabernet and 3% Cabernet Franc) is a juicy, forward, fruit bomb style effort that has notable purity in its jammy black and blue fruits, medium to full-bodied, good purity, and fine tannins. It's forward and ready to go but should keep nicely for 8-10 years. When considering Napa Valley, it's actually a lot of wine for the money.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
One of Napa Valley’s oldest wine growing subregions but last to gain appellation status, Calistoga occupies the northernmost section of the valley. Beginning at the foot of Mount St. Helena, its vineyards stretch over steep canyons and roll out onto the valley floor. The soils in Calistoga are volcanic, which means they are heavy in minerals, low in organic matter and allow good drainage for vine roots, creating less green growth and more concentration of flavor within the grape berries.
Summer days are very hot but most nights cool down with moist ocean breezes sneaking in over the Mayacamas Mountains or from Knights Valley to its northwest.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the area’s star variety with Zinfandel coming in a strong second, though the latter commands far less price per tonnage so continues to be outshined by Cabernet in vineyard acreage, save for some important exceptions.