Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
#52 James Suckling Top 100 Napa and Sonoma Wines of 2017
Fabulous aromas of mushrooms, cork tree, stones and blackberries. Spices, too. Full-bodied yet focused and precise with a clarity and beauty of fruit that shows fantastic texture. Wonderful length and intensity. A wine that seduces you now but shows such promise for the future.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample of the 2014 M by Michael Mondavi was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and offered up notes of wood smoke, baking spices, red and black currants, and hints of plum and licorice. It is medium to full-bodied, front-end loaded and very seductive. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. Barrel Sample: 90-92
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.