Winemaker Notes
It is a perfect complement to warm, earthy dishes, game and red meat such as wild boar, venison and grilled filet mignon. One of the best vintages yet.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even more powerful, the dense plum/purple-tinged 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard looks to be nearly as prodigious. It offers a big, sweet kiss of smoked herbs, burning embers, black currants, black cherries and licorice. Dense, full-bodied and unctuously textured as well as long, it, too, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Monte Rosso Vineyard that was aged in a combination of new French oak (85%) and new American oak (15%) for 22 months prior to bottling. It should drink well for 20-30+ years.
Range: 91-93+
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.