Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint is a fabulous entry-level offering from Robin Lail. Dark, ample and seductive, the 2023 delivers on all fronts. Blackberry, graphite, dried herbs, leather and chocolate are all dialed up. Blueprint is a blend from some of the top sites in Napa Valley. It's one of the very best Napa Valley Cabernets in its price range. The 2023 is perhaps the best vintage of this bottling ever.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Deep purple and ruby-hued, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint is sourced from a broad mix of sites across the valley, including Calistoga, Coombsville, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap District, and Yountville. Based on 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot and aged 17 months in 65% new French oak, it offers deep blackcurrants, plums, chocolate, woodsmoke, and black cherry notes. It's medium to full-bodied, with spicy oak, a round, layered mouthfeel, and outstanding length. Drink 2025-2035.
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.