Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The stunning 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Reserve is a fair value given the inflated pricing for so many California Cabernets. Aged in 100% new French oak, this limited cuvee exhibits a saturated black/purple color in addition to big, sweet aromas of creosote interwoven with road tar, creme de cassis, cedar, and vanilla. Full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, and exceptionally pure, with loads of glycerin and sweet tannin in the finish, it is young and unevolved, but exceptionally promising. Atypical for a 2001, it is soft enough to be drunk young, but 2-3 years of cellaring is suggested. Drink it over the following 15+ years.
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Wine Spectator
Firm and muscular with a dense, rich, concentrated core of blackberry, currant and plum flavors supported by tight tannins and framed by cedary oak; this wine combines power with touches of finesse.
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.