Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
The purity and brilliance to this wine is fantastic with blueberry, black currant, and boysenberry. Full body, very fine tannins and a bright finish. The tannin texture is sublime. Give it two or three years to develop. A wonderful example of new Napa.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The brilliant 2013 M by Michael Mondavi ratchets up the level of concentration. It displays blackcurrant, black raspberries, licorice and truffle notes, a stunning opaque purple color, full-bodied mouthfeel, and beautiful density, purity and texture. Unfortunately, there are only 263 cases of this wine, but it should age beautifully for 20-25 years.
-
Wine Enthusiast
From the producer's beloved Atlas Peak planting, M is a powerhouse of brawny flavor and earthy minerality, a mix of chocolate, coffee and blackberry jam that's burly in size and scope. Spicy, it layers on savory elements of tar, leather and tobacco, complementing with ease the forceful fruit and supportive oak.
Editors' Choice
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.