Winemaker Notes
Aroma: Concentrated berry and black cherry fruit at the forefront, underlain with sweet cassis and touches of violets, lavender and spicy oak. Flavors: A beautifully polished core of black fruit on the mid-palate, interwoven with black olive, red currant, espresso and a hint of maple. Finish: Lush and generous, focusing on more dense fruit, enlivened with crisp acidity and silky, fine-grained tannins. General: A rich, multi-layered Cabernet that balances power with finesse.
76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Affinity is a steal for a high-quality Napa Cabernet-based wine (actually 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). This wine displays floral, blueberry, and black currant notes intermixed with some subtle oak and a hint of coffee beans. Generous, rich, with beautiful layers of fruit, impressive purity, and admirable elegance combined with power, this is a gorgeous wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15+ years.
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.