Winemaker Notes
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 3% Petite Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich and beautiful red with black currants and berries. Chocolate and spice too. Full body, round tannins and a long, long finish. A beauty. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The brilliant 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a tiny blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc. Medium to full-bodied, it possesses notes of graphite, vanilla, blackcurrants and melted asphalt. Drink now-2025.
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Wine Spectator
Well-crafted, offering a mix of dense earth, cedar and dark berry flavors, with crushed rock, graphite, espresso and cigar box nuances. Ends with chewy tannins. Will benefit from some cellaring. Drink now through 2028.
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Wine Enthusiast
Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot round out the experience of this predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine. It presents a lovely expression of the Napa Valley in its spicy clove, cinnamon and cassis. Oak and tannin build up toward the finish, finding equilibrium in the wine's balance of acidity and lush, dark fruit.
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.