Winemaker Notes
Blend: 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Malbec and Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Patience, patience, and more patience is mandated by the 2008. A blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, .5% Malbec and .5% Petit Verdot reveals an opaque blue/purple color in addition to abundant graphite, vanillin, blueberry and blackberry aromas. Built for the long haul, it is a concentrated, dense, promising Cabernet along the lines of the great wines made at Merus since its founding by Mark Herold (who is now pursuing other projects). Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25-30 years.
Raging 93+ -
Wine Spectator
Bold, rich and smoky, a big, expressive wine that's elegant and graceful, with mixed dark fruits, roasted herb, black licorice and mineral. Ends with a long, layered finish that highlights the berry and mineral. Drink now through 2022.
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.