Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made of 100% Cabernet aged 21 months in 93% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 1 comes bounding out of the glass with energetic notes of crushed blueberries, cassis and black cherry compote with hints of lilacs, baking spices, cedar chest and potpourri. Full-bodied and wonderfully velvety in the mouth, it delivers mouth-filling perfumed black fruit and has a compelling herbal lift to the long finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a powerhouse wine, surprisingly soft and supple on the palate, with firm, integrated tannins and hearty oak. Cedar, pencil shavings and sweet tobacco provide savory complexity on the midpalate, accenting a core of concentrated red currant and plum. The finish is a mix of black pepper and dark chocolate
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James Suckling
A silky and harmonious cabernet with currants, light chocolate and spice. Medium to full body, lightly round tannins and a flavorful finish. Real Napa cabernet at a good price. Drink or hold.
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Wine & Spirits
Intensely deep in color and equally purple in its fruit, this is a meaty, potently extracted cabernet that opens up toward savory notes of bay leaf and earthy tannins. It sustains the cool feel of the grapes in the early morning.
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.