Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga always comes from the Larkmead vineyard just north of Calistoga. Aged 20 months in 80% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a sweet bouquet of cassis, blackberry jam, liquid violets, and brambly spice. Pure, opulent, and incredibly sexy, it stays elegant and graceful on the palate with awesome purity of fruit. Drink it anytime over the coming 2+ decades.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga has a very deep purple-black color and opens with absolutely seducing crushed black cherries, blueberries and black raspberry aromas plus underlying violets, rose hip tea, spice box, powdered cinnamon and dusty earth notes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tightly knit, revealing great tension and depth with the firm, fine-grained frame, finishing long and refreshing. 204 cases were made.
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.