Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the opaque purple-hued 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a fifth-growth Pauillac Pontet-Canet-like creme de cassis purity intermixed with lots of graphite and a touch of vanilla. This young, vigorous, full-bodied wine possesses an exciting personality as well as a terrific finish and length. It is coming into full maturity, where it should remain for another 15-20 years.
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Wine Spectator
A delightfully rich and complex young Cabernet, with tiers of ripe currant, black cherry, plum and hints of mocha and chocolate, showing a touch of sweet fruit on the finish and finishing with ripe, firm tannins.
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.