Winemaker Notes
Grand Reserve is a winemaker's blend of our mountain, ridge, hillside and benchland grapes grown along California's cool coastal appellations. We hand select grapes from our best estate vineyards and then monitor, taste and hand-hold each individual lot throughout the winemaking process. Each lot is kept separate, barrel-aged and handcrafted - boutique winery style. Our winemakers have an unmatched palate of flavors, toast levels and terroir nuances from which they masterfully blend these exemplary rich, deep and complex wines.
Blend: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Close in quality to Cabernets costing far more, this has elaborate blackberry, cherry and currant flavors. The all-important mouthfeel is dry and crisp, with fine tannins. It’s not an ager, but shows plenty of class.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec aged 19 months in French oak (47% new), the 2008 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon displays an inky/purple color as well as abundant aromas of creme de cassis, camphor, tobacco leaf, licorice and background smoky oak. This rich, full-bodied Cabernet admirably showcases the potential for rich, layered, ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma. It will benefit from another 1-2 years of bottle age and should keep for at least 12 years. (88-90+)
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.