Winemaker Notes
This year’s incarnation exhibits rich flavors of black cherry, blackberry, licorice, coffee and black tea. The palate is densely structured, yet round and lush with a velvety and not chalky finish. This 2014 Reserve Cab beautifully balances it’s weighty seriousness with finesse.
Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, with 66% coming from Sonoma and 34% from Napa, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve displays a very deep purple-black color and nose of crushed red and black currants, black cherries and pencil shavings with touches of cloves, bay leaves, damp earth and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with juicy red and black fruits, supported by silky, silt-like tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long with an herbal lift.
Rating: 95+ -
Vinous
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is in fine shape today. It retains terrific energy and verve but in the more compact style of the year. Gravel, incense, tobacco, dried herbs, iron and wildflowers build. The 2014 has aged well, but it is a bit severe in its contours; I would give it a healthy decant.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A masterful effort, the 2014 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon clicks on all cylinders. The wine's rich ripe fruit and cocoa dust are complemented with a fine texture and a long finish. Pair it with grilled beef dishes. (Tasted: October 30, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.