Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another legendary wine from Thomas Rivers Brown, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Lore Vineyard matches the perfect 2015 and is as good as Cabernet Sauvignon gets. Reminding me a great vintage of Schrader’s Old Sparky, its deep purple color is followed by a sumptuous, other-worldly bouquet of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, spring flowers, and camphor. Full-bodied and powerful, it’s the purity of fruit, poise, and balance that make this wine so special. With fine tannins and no hard edges, it satisfies both the intellectual and hedonistic parts of the brain and is magical stuff. As with the Herb Lamb release, you can drink it any time over the coming 20-25+ years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
High above the Rudd Winery in the eastern hills of Oakville, Lore Vineyard is a steep, rocky site with multiple afternoon exposures. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Lore Vineyard is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal notions of freshly crushed blackcurrants, redcurrant jelly, minted blackberries and mulberries plus wafts of espresso, chocolate-covered cherries, licorice and violets. Full-bodied and very firm, with wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, the palate is packed with muscular fruit, finishing long and layered. This should age fantastically! 232 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.