Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley showed well. A beautiful array of red, blue, and black fruits as well as darker chocolate and smoked tobacco define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with good overall concentration, a little bit of surprisingly jagged acidity, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. I like its overall density, as well as the quality of the tannins, and it's going to benefit from a solid 2-3 years of bottle age. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it was only with air that I questioned its overall acid balance, and I suspect this will all resolve with short-term cellaring. It should have a long life.
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.