Winemaker Notes
The pinnacle of power, this wine is consistently the most complete and persistent on the palate, broad in both force and length. This intensity is the result of great vine balance and soil profile (both Cortina and Pleasanton) that isn’t found anywhere else on the estate.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From clay soils, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is borderline perfection and reminds me of a young Montrose with its deep cassis and currant fruit, graphite and lead pencil nuances, full-bodied richness, and a powerful, yet opulent personality. This is a gorgeous wine that is certainly approachable today given its purity and balance, yet needs a decade to hit prime time and is going to keep for 2-3 decades.
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James Suckling
So much tile and black-tea character on the nose with bark undertones. Full body and finely layered tannins. Focused and bright. A gorgeous finish. This is all about natural beauty. Smooth and intense power. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is 100% varietal and packed in flavor and body. Low yields make for a densely rich and concentrated experience on the palate—an intense, slightly reduced tangle of chocolate, caramel and dusty compressed black fruit. Earthy, it flaunts crushed rock, gravel and graphite elements, with a streak of fresh acidity on the finish. Enjoy best 2025–2030.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari displays an opaque purple-black color with an intense mocha, baked blackcurrants and stewed plums nose plus hints of sautéed herbs, underbrush and tapenade. Full-bodied, concentrated and very firm in the mouth, it offers great ripeness and plenty of power but is just a little chewy and lacking that next-level finesse.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Spectator
Intense and well-centered on dark berry, black cherry, anise, cedar and crushed rock flavors, this sails along until the graceful tannins weigh in on the finish, bringing this to an abrupt halt. Drink now through 2029.
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Decanter
Inviting, savoury nose, a medley of grilled plums and cherries with toasty, creamy oak. Succulent and juicy, charming with a long, peppery 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.