Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Ramey has discovered a fabulous source in the Oakville Corridor, and the (sadly, only 310 cases sensational 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal Vineyard produced) is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Inky purple to the rim, with sweet crème de cassis, roasted meat, and blackberry fruit notes, juicy succulence on the attack, full-bodied power, plenty of glycerin, sensational purity, and a hint of bouquet garni, this is an enormously endowed Cabernet Sauvignon that builds incrementally on the palate, finishing with a blast of power and sweet tannin. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 25+ years. 95+
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Wine Spectator
A deep, rich, intense style, with a powerful display of dark fruit, black cherry, blackberry, currant, espresso and toasty oak. So young now it’s still rambunctious. Tannic, but persistent on the finish, with layers of flavor. Drink now through 2014.
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.