Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
More cassis, black fruits, smoked earth, and a kiss of green herbs emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price Vineyard, which is all varietal and comes from a site in St. Helena. Brought up in 100% new oak, it hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied, straight, focused, tight mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and terrific overall balance. The purity of fruit is top-notch, and it has a wonder Cabernet typicity. I suspect 3-4 years of bottle age will do it well and it should evolve for more than two decades. Rating: 94+
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James Suckling
Lots of hot stone and powerful tannins. Blue fruit and black cherries. It’s full-bodied, tannic and intense. Needs time to soften. Better after 2021.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) is deep garnet-purple colored and has a provocatively plummy, warm cassis and black berry preserves nose with hints of cinnamon stick, bay leaves and tilled soil with a waft of pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lovely interplay of stewed black fruits and dried herbs, with firm, chewy tannins and a savory finish. Rating: 92+
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.