Winemaker Notes
In the mouth the wine rumbles across the palate, like theengine of a train transferring its weight with each turn ofthe wheel. Macerated black cherries and cassis coat thesides of the mouth and as they fade, dried herb, graphite,gravel and cacao emerge, leaving you craving a second sip.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari, which is again 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, flirts with perfection. It spent 20 months in 80% new French oak and hails from their Cortina Gravel and clay sectors of the vineyard. They made 793 cases of this compelling wine, which offers great freshness and energy, profound depth of flavor, an opaque black/purple color, and oodles of pure crème de cassis and blackberry fruit intermixed with incense, charcoal and white flowers. It’s a stunner to drink now and over the next three decades.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is flat out awesome. Always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 20 months in 80% new French oak, this ripe, sexy, multi-dimensional beauty boasts a deep, saturated purple color as well as layers of plum and cassis fruit intermixed with lots of cedar, spice-cabinet, spring flowers and earth. Possessing full-bodied richness, an expansive, layered texture, incredible depth and a ripe, yet building tannin, it can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.
Rating: 98+ -
James Suckling
Aromas of spices, redwood, blackberries, tile and plums follow through to a full body and super-integrated, chalky tannins. Savory and juicy. Real tension and drinkability. Released in September 2017.
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.