Winemaker Notes
2015 is forward, opulent and full throttle. The natural acidity from Oakville Ranch fruit holds the wine together. The wine is aged for 19-20 months in 100% new French oak barrels (Darnajou).
Blend: 52% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the wines tasted out of bottle, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch is a smoking good Cabernet that gives up textbook notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, spice, and violets. With full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin, integrated acidity and terrific intensity, it shines just as much for its elegance and purity as richness and depth. 96+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a gorgeous meaty/earthy nose with notions of spice box, dusty earth and game over a core of mincemeat pie and red and black currants. Medium to full-bodied, it has gregarious red and black fruits in the mouth with spicy undertones and a velvety texture paving the long finish.
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James Suckling
This shows so much character with burnt orange and terracotta. Full body, very polished tannins and a long finish. Extremely focused. Better in 2020.
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.