Winemaker Notes
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Tight and complex, with layers of spicy currant, earth, cedar, toast and anise. Firms up on the finish, with crisp acidity and mineral notes.
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Wine Enthusiast
A strong briar-patch nose is accented by cola, creamy vanilla, and finely toasted oak. It's much the classic Rutherford big boy, with black-currant, licorice and tobacco notes. Yet it remains cool and light, not heavy or corpulent. Fine tannins close it out, leaving us with a more positive impression than in our original review, which appeared in the July issue.
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.