Winemaker Notes
After harvesting, the grapes were cold macerated for 10 days and then fermented for another 10 days. The wine went through a process of post fermentation skin contact. 80% of the wine was aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels.
Full-bodied wine with firm, soft tannins. Deep and intense garnet red. Rich and harmonious with an integrated, mature and mellow fruit character that makes this wine elegant and silky and opulent at the same time. In the mouth-feel it has a lingering character given by the Oak Knoll and Yountville gravely terroirs. Generous fruit expression with hints of blackberries, plums and layers of black cherries. Velvety in the mid palate, with nuances of perfectly integrated French oak. Nice long finish. A wine to be aged for at least 15 years or to be enjoyed now.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Full-bodied wine with firm, soft tannins. Deep and intense garnet red. Rich and harmonious with an integrated, mature and mellow fruit character that makes this wine elegant and silky and opulent at the same time. In the mouth-feel it has a lingering character given by the Oak Knoll and Yountville gravely terroirs. Generous fruit expression with hints of blackberries, plums and layers of black cherries. Velvety in the mid palate, with nuances of perfectly integrated French oak. Nice long finish. A wine to be aged for at least 15 years or to be enjoyed now.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Chilean winemaker, Aurelio Montes, joins an elite crowd of high-achievers in Napa Valley with a stunning pair of new Cabernet releases. This, the winery's flagship bottling, is a substantial and serious wine by any and all measures, and its combination of concentrated curranty fruit, lavish oak and rich, loam and tobacco-leaf qualities will win loud applause from all who champion hedonistic, optimally ripened, fullflavored Cabs. For all of its up-front appeals, however, it is a solidly structured wine that cries out for age, and it is bound to get better for a 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.