Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dense purple 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge (400 cases of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Knights Valley and their Kellogg Estate Vineyard) offers up hints of spring flowers, blueberry liqueur, crème de cassis, camphor and wet rocks. It’s mineral-laced on the palate. Displaying a full-bodied mouthfeel, sweet tannin and a long, long finish, this classic, ostentatious Cabernet can be drunk over the next 12-15 years.
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.