Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Tarry and austere on the surface, this is packed with purple berry fruit and purple plum richness. Dusty tannins keep the fruit's generosity in check, finishing tight and coal-black. Built to cellar, this wine will develop complexity with age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is laced with an exciting melange of black cherries, incense, tobacco, mocha, graphite and dried flowers. Deceptively medium in body, the 2010 possesses gorgeous aromatics and tons of pure nuance, all in an understated style I find highly appealing. Today, the wine is a bit compact, but it should grow nicely with further time in bottle. The 2010 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 61% from Spring Mountain and 39% from Pope Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.
Rating: 91+
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.