Winemaker Notes
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate bursts from the glass with blackberries, cassis, grilled herbs, smoke and licorice, all of which are beautifully woven together. This ripe juicy Cabernet presents an exotic, super-ripe profile balanced by a firm sense of structure. Not a bad combination, to say the least. Freshly cut flowers, mint and licorice are layered into the energetic, vibrant finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.
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Tasting Panel
What a gorgeous wine from this winery that is well on its way to becoming a cult producer; fragrant and lush with black raspberry and cassis and licorice; generous and ripe but still beautifully structured and completely in balanced with a long finish and lovely aging potential.
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Wine Enthusiast
A great Cabernet that will proudly stand beside the best of Napa Valley. Made in the modern style, it's soft and sweet in blackberry, cherry, currant and dark-chocolate flavors, but the finish is thoroughly dry, wrapped in a scour of tannins and acids. So good to drink now, you might forget to age it, but don't. This will provide plenty of deliciousness over the next six-plus years.
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Wine & Spirits
From a 53-acre hillside estate at the southern end of Alexander Valley, this is made by Jesse Katz. This is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (92 percent), with small amounts of Malbec, Merlot, Franc and Petit Verdot adding depth and complexity. The flavors seem to emerge out of the firm tannins, yielding red berries, plums, dark earth and mint scents. This is firm and tight, built to age.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.