Winemaker Notes
This wine is rich and dark in the glass with aromas of coffee and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied with notes of cassis and toast, the finish features supple, velvety tannins that will gain even more complexity as time passes. This Napa Valley Cabernet sets the standard for quality and will age beautifully for the next 15 years.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A layered and pretty red with soft and silky tannins and fresh fruit. Currant and dark berry. Full body, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Drinkable but better in 2020.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Merryvale Vineyards has been a consistent top performing winery for more than two decades, probably more than that, and the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is proof. TASTING NOTES: This is a handsome wine. Its aromas and flavors of bright dark berries, spicy oak accents, and beautifully ripened tannins make it a perfect pairing partner with grilled short ribs. (Tasted: October 23, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As for the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, this has a slightly more saturated purple color, beautiful blackberry and blueberry fruit, some licorice and incense. This is serious wine, and at this price point, a terrific bargain for high-class Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. It is 100% Cabernet and should drink beautifully for another 12-15 years.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is also outstanding and offers plenty of blackberry fruit intermixed with lots of toasty oak and licorice. It’s pure, nicely concentrated and balanced, with well-integrated acidity. Aged 22 months in 50% new French oak, it’s winner to drink over the coming decade or more.
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.