Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The deep ruby/purple-colored 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard offers a sweet, classic creme de cassis-scented nose with loamy, earthy notes in the background. Layered with an opulent texture, the sometimes ferocious tannins from Stagecoach Vineyard fruit have been beautifully tamed and civilized. This full-bodied, loaded Cabernet Sauvignon is just approaching early adolescence, and should drink well for another 10-15+ years.
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Wine Spectator
Big, rich and potent, yet gracefully balanced, with a tasty core of vivid blackberry and wild berry flavors, accented by shades of fresh earth. Picks up rich black licorice, subtle spice and road tar details on the long and lingering finish.
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.