Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Branding Iron Vineyard is one of the more brooding wines in this lineup. Iron, dark cherries, tobacco and incense are some of the nuances that emerge from this taut, structured Cabernet Sauvignon. It shows terrific length and follow-through to the virile, potent finish. This is a decidedly focused, structured wine that needs time for the tannins to start melting away. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028.
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Wine Enthusiast
This 100% Cabernet is the ripest and sweetest of the winery’s 2008 offerings, but it still shows the tannins that are Nickel & Nickel’s mark. The vineyard is in west Oakville, and offers that region’s superbly lush, delicious blackberry, blueberry and cherry flavors. Those tannins, while firm, are sweetly ripe, giving the wine an oxymoronic soft toughness.
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.