Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon caresses the palate with deep layers of dark red fruit, rose petals, smoke and espresso. It is a bit more voluptuous and sexy than the 2008 in its sleek, polished personality. All of the elements flow gracefully to the huge, textured finish. The 2009 is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is the very definition of a modern cult-style Napa Cabernet. It’s extraordinarily rich and flavorful in blackberries, blueberries, cassis and chocolate, while the jacket of tannins is as soft and velvety as modern winemaking can achieve. It doesn’t seem likely to age beyond 2015.
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Tasting Panel
Dark, deep and rich with concentrated red fruit: plum, raspberry and cherry; lush and seductive with complex elements fusing into an impressive, cohesive wine with tremendous promise; beautifully constructed and showing a long, balanced finish.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and spicy, deep in plum- and currant-laced fruit, with touches of sage and licorice. Maintains its strength, while easing into a more supple ending. Denser, sturdier and more powerful than the Proprietary Red, which is Right Bank inspired.
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.