Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Kobalt comes from two sites in Coombsville and is 100%Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 23 months in French oak. It’s a concentrated, full-bodied 2014 that shows the supple, sexy, seamless and forward style of this vintage nicely. With lots of blueberries, cedar, violets and lead pencil aromatics, a perfumed, lifted style and fine tannin, it’s a beautiful 2014 that can be drunk anytime over the coming 15-20 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from the Stagecoach Vineyard and some other terroirs in Coombsville, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is made by Mark Herold, and his style obviously leans toward super-extraction. A dense purple color, with notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, blackcurrant, blackberry, new saddle leather and spice, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied, opulent and best drunk over the next 15-20 years.
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.