Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Here's a cabernet with the volume turned up so high it begins to cross over into Howell Mountain zin. There's a pungent floral aspect that seems more typical of zin, and a sense of minerals infusing the tannin. This is powerful, dense and hard to grasp as a young wine, yet it seems comfortable in its giant size. It may need a decade to mellow, or an oxtail stew to take down its tannins.
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Wine Spectator
A rustic yet smooth and harmonious style, with dusty berry, mineral, sage and herb scents that form a complex core of flavors. There's good intensity, and the tannins are in check. Ends with a minerally aftertaste, making this a wine that's very true to its appellation.
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.