Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
As deep and defined and impressively structured as any wine in this issue, Lewis adds to its recent string of show-stopping Char-donnay successes with a Cabernet that stands with the best. A big, highly extracted wine whose concentration and sheer sense of scale are matched by few, it shows layer upon layer of cassis, creamy oak, cola, chocolate, coffee and loamy soil qualities that outdistance its ample young tannins and handily buffer its scant edge of heat. Downright enthralling, yet only a shadow of what it is bound to become, it deserves seeking out and needs to be cellared for ten or more years.
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Wine Spectator
Firm, rich and chewy, this is tight, concentrated and focused, with a layered, complex mix of loamy currant, cedary oak, sage and wild berry, gaining depth and length on the finish, where the flavors are deep and persistent. Best from 2009 through 2015. 2,200 cases made.
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.