Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB No. 1, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon bottled unfined and unfiltered after spending 19 months in 65% new French oak, has an opaque purple color, a glorious nose of graphite, blackberry, licorice, incense, Asian spice and white chocolate. The wine has great fruit on the attack, an opulent, full-bodied, multi-tiered mouthfeel and a layered, pure finish of a good 45+ seconds. It is a brilliant wine and will drink well for up to 20 or more years.
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Wine Enthusiast
This broad-shouldered, full-bodied wine shocks and awes with its clove and black pepper notes that are as savory as a fine steak, with which it would pair brilliantly. Oak and tannin form a shield of power that girds the black fruit for further battle.
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.