Winemaker Notes
This rich deeply, colored wine opens with savory aromas reminiscent of the forest floor leaving impressions of juniper, sage and clove leading into luscious dark fruit flavors of black cherry and blackberry. Layers of sweet vanilla, anise, tobacco and hints of lavender also persist on the palate. The well-developed tannins and bright acidity suggest that this wine, while excellent young, will surely reward careful cellaring.
This food-friendly wine will be a great companion to a range of wild games dishes and grilled meats. A beef tenderloin with winter vegetables would also be a superb match.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even longer-lived than the Merlot, are the 4,000 or so cases of 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered. What people don’t realize is that proprietress Su Hua Newton completely declassified the 2003 and 2004 vintages, as she just wasn’t happy with them. This is her first vintage since 2002. The wine is deep ruby/purple in color and exhibits notes of underbrush, black truffle, creme de cassis, incense, and a hint of earth. It is full-bodied, powerful, but at the same time elegant, pure, and moderately tannic. This wine needs another 2-4 years of bottle age, and should age nicely for 20-25 years.
Newton was founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton and his Chinese wife Su Hua. Peter Newton was already renowned as a pioneer of winemaking in the Napa Valley, having founded the Sterling Winery near Calistoga in the 1960s. The Newtons transformed one square mile of rolling hillside in Spring Mountain into one of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious estates, whose wines have graced the official dinners of several US presidents.
The Newton estate encompasses 170 acres of prime Napa Valley terroir, distributed over four separate, wholly owned vineyards: Spring Mountain, Yountville, Mount Veeder and Carneros.
Newton is renowned for producing wines that are uniquely characterful expressions of varietals emblematic of the Napa Valley, notably Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Working patiently with nature, we are committed to precision viticulture and winemaking techniques yielding wines that are acclaimed for their balance, harmony and full, abundant flavors.
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.