Winemaker Notes
Powerful elegance in a glass. Bold and velvety, this wine showcases the quintessential characteristics of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of purple flowers, graphite, and warm cedar. The mouthfeel is full-bodied and lush, with well-integrated tannins providing structure and balance. Layered with notes of fig, cassis, and black cherry underpinned by a savory complexity and long, evolving finish.
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The 2021 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from their 10-hectare Profile Estate Vineyard in Conn Valley and the Oak Knoll District. The grapes undergo fermentation on skins for up to 21 days before being drained into a barrel and aged for 16 months in 50% new French oak. This elegant and compact wine has gorgeous savoury notes of tobacco and wild sage woven through layers of black cherry, blackberry, and spiced plum. Medium- to full-bodied, it is exceptionally pure and precise, with polished, superfine tannins that lay a firm and compact foundation. Beautifully balanced, this Cabernet is easy to enjoy thanks to the integrity and refinement of its tannin structure, complemented by sumptuous and succulent dark fruit and spices. Its Old World character is imbued with the ripe, dark-fruited, and fragrant profile of sun-ripened California grapes—a stunning example of craftsmanship and terroir.
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James Suckling
A focused, tightly wound wine that emphasizes firm tannins and intense black fruit flavors on a full body. Black cherries, blackcurrants, black olives and spicy oak accents give plenty to appreciate.
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PinotReport
A focused, tightly wound wine that emphasizes firm tannins and intense black fruit flavors on a full body. Black cherries, blackcurrants, black olives and spicy oak accents give plenty to appreciate. Drinkable now, but best from 2029.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and fresh, with juicy energy to its red currant and blackberry fruit flavors, which are threaded with singed apple wood, anise and chaparral hints. Offers an open and engaging finish. Drink now through 2031.
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.