Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Laurel Glen is one of California's most admirable operations, and its estate Cabernet Sauvignon is at the top of the qualitative hierarchy. The 1994 reveals an opaque purple color, and a tight but promising nose of jammy black fruits, spice, earth, and a whiff of Provencal herbs. Full-bodied, with layers of chewy, fleshy, ripe fruit, this highly-extracted, moderately-tannic, blockbuster Cabernet should prove to be accessible when released. That being said, this wine should be cellared for 4-5 years and drunk over the following 15-20.
Range:92-94 points
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Defined more by altitude than geographical outline, the Sonoma Mountain appellation occupies elevations between 400 and 1,200 feet on the northern and eastern slopes of the actual Sonoma Mountain and is part of the greater Sonoma Valley appellation. The mountain reaches 2,400 feet; its hills separate the cooling winds of Petaluma Gap from the Sonoma Valley.
On a cooler western flank, Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Syrah enjoy a great deal of success. Vineyards on its warmer, eastern side, interspersed with heavily forested areas, tend to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Syrah. Given its complexity of topography and mesoclimates, Sonoma Mountain excels with a wide range of grape varieties.