Winemaker Notes
For the first time in over a decade, this bottling includes nearly all the Cabernet Franc planted across our historic estate, bringing the varietal's nuanced texture and bright aromatics to the blend. This is a beautifully balanced wine, with the potential for even more complexity in several years' time.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc, which was brought up in 71% new French oak. It has a clean, classy, textbook Cabernet Sauvignon nose of ripe currants, loamy earth, leather, and spicy wood. It's nicely balanced, medium-bodied, has a focused, nicely structured mouthfeel, and a great finish.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, coffee beans, plum confit, leather and baking spices. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, a rounded mouthfeel and a slightly drying, bitter chocolate finish.
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.