Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Intense aromas of blackberry, tar and wet earth follow through to a full body, chewy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Bark and cigar box undertones. A solid and powerful red yet balanced and poised. Give it two or three years of bottle age after release to soften.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The opaque purple 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) has a Château Latour-like nose of cedar wood, graphite, oodles of cr?me de cassis and forest floor, stunning concentration, power and structure. This is an amazing wine, and with 1,635 cases produced, has reasonable availability. This all is produced from the so-called clone 7, which became better known across the street and up on the Vaca hillsides as the Eisele Vineyard clone. This wine should really be laid down for 7-8 years and probably has a good 40-50 years of potential longevity.
Rating: 96+ -
Wine Spectator
Bold and assertive, generous and supple, with a mix of loamy earth, graphite, cedar, tobacco leaf and underbrush flavors. A powerful yet refined expression best served by short-term cellaring. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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.