Winemaker Notes
From a superb vintage, with its stunning color and seductive nose, the 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley stands among our finest ever. Layers of clove and red cedar aromas are accented with heather flower and espresso forte, while crushed currants and huckleberry fruit form the core. Vivid, textured, and reminiscent of an Old Masters painting, the wine is crafted with supple muscle and super-fine texture, finishing with truffle-dusted tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another ripe, powerful wine from this estate that ticks all the right boxes, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve reveals a dense purple hue as well as sumptuous notes of blackcurrant, black cherry liqueur, spicy oak, and graphite, with a Graves-like smoky, scorched earth character. It's full-bodied, deep, layered, incredibly concentrated, and has a blockbuster finish. Drink this awesome Cabernet over the coming two decades.
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James Suckling
Chewy, densely dark-fruited and rustic. It has notes of dark cherries, baked plums, vanilla and sweet spices on the nose. Full-bodied with plush tannins. Firm and generous with a compact finish. Try from 2026.
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.