Winemaker Notes
Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Made by Philippe Melka, this wine sources fruit from across the valley, adding in 7% Petit Verdot. Structured, chalky tannins settle into a soft, billowy entry of cassis, clove and quiet oak. Dried herb and additional baking spices touch up the lengthy finish.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Containing just 7% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint sports a deep garnet-purple color and fragrant notes of fresh blackberries and black currants, mulberries, dusty earth and garrigue with bay leaves and sandalwood in the background. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features a good core of muscular, expressive fruit, supported by grainy tannins, finishing long and nicely poised.
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.