Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Cuvée, which includes a splash of Merlot (3%), shines for its beautiful elegance and purity, with lots of blue fruits, violets, orange blossom, and lead pencil aromas and flavors. Tasting like a mini Grand Vin, it’s full-bodied, with ripe, present tannins, and certainly has the classic, noble style that’s the hallmark of this estate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Cuvée is deep garnet-purple colored. It was aged in 55% new French oak, 18% new Hungarian oak and 27% second fill French oak. It bursts from the glass with rambunctious black cherry compote, blueberry pie and crushed blackcurrant scents, plus hints of menthol, baker’s chocolate and cedar chest. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins and fantastic freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long with a red-fruited skip in its step. 425 cases were made.
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 most historic sub-appellations, Yountville spreads through some of the valley's ideal cooler sites and enjoys success with a handful of different and significant grape varieties.
Syrah competes strongly with Cabernet Sauvignon here for optimal vineyard real estate followed by Pinot noir, Pinot blanc and Sauvignon blanc.
This sub-AVA of Napa Valley is rich in the history that makes Napa Valley what it is today, and not just for red wines. Moët & Chandon entered the California winemaking business via Yountville in 1973 with the establishment Domaine Chandon. Their goal has always been to produce top quality méthode champenoise sparkling wines.
Christian Moueix, originally responsible for managing Chateau Petrus and La Fleur-Petrus in Pomerol, arrived in Yountville in the early 1980s. He formed a partnership with Rohin Lail and Marcia Smith, inheritors of Napanook vineyard from their father John Daniel of Inglenook in Rutherford. In 1995 Moueix became sole owner of Napanook and chose the name Dominus, which today produces some of Napa’s highest scoring, age-worthy Bordeaux Blends.