Winemaker Notes
The 2015 The Sisters is dark, decadent and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon at its highest form. With a completely opaque dark purple hue in the glass, this wine begs for an up-close inspection. Aromatic notes suggest clove, licorice, tart raspberry, lilac and cedar emerge from the glass. The palate expression is tightly-knit with complex notes of currant, cinnamon, umami, forest floor, baking chocolate and sanguine. A few hours in the decanter will allow it to blossom into a very giving and supple wine with vivid layers of flavor
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon The Sisters leaps from the glass with plum preserves, blueberry compote and fruitcake notes with touches of tobacco leaf, dried mint and beef drippings. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with black fruit and ripe, grainy tannins with lovely freshness, finishing with a minty kick.
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.