Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 1 emerges from the glass with beautifully delineated black fruit, flowers, mint, licorice and tar, all of which come together beautifully on a vibrant powerful frame. Despite its size, the Lot. 1 shows remarkable freshness and vibrancy. It is a beautiful, totally classy wine. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Enthusiast
This has been pretty much Martini's best Cabernet Sauvignon over the last few years, and with this ’08, the winery commits itself to playing in the major leagues. It’s very rich and ripe in sweet blackberries and cherries, with a tremendous oak coat, and the tannin-acid structure is of the highest order. Should age effortlessly over the next 12 years, at least.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe, plump and generous, with supple spice, currant, blackberry and cedar flavors. Full-bodied and smooth-textured, with the fruit flavors building gracefully. Drink now through 2020. 500 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.