Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Always an excellent cabernet for the buck. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Lots of berry with a chocolate and mahogany finish. Drink or hold.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
An excellent Cabernet from the Napa Valley and why not? Louis Martini has great history in one the world's most important enclaves for this regal varietal. The 2012 Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has medium to deep ruby color; beautiful and refined red and black currant aromas, excellent depth and focus, attractive sweet oak in the background; medium bodied, well-structured on the palate, sweet tannins give the wine a nice wrap-around; dry, red and black fruit flavors, some sweet oak; medium finish, youthful yet already pleasing in the aftertaste. Drinking well now, will improve well over the next several years. (Tasted: June 3, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Sirah, 6% Petit Verdot, 1% Syrah and 1% Merlot, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa reveals notes of crème de cassis, unsmoked cigar tobacco and spice box in its surprisingly deep yet supple, medium to full-bodied personality. With excellent purity, texture and length, this delicious, approachable, high quality Cabernet can be enjoyed over the next 7-10 years. The good news is that there is lots of it.
-
Wine Spectator
Moderately rich and layered, with black cherry, plum, currant and light cedary oak notes. This shows impressive balance and depth of flavor, ending with gravelly, fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2023.
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.