Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tar, licorice, scorched earth and incense are some of the many notes that burst from the glass in Robert Craig’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity. This is an especially dark, brooding wine loaded with character. The relatively large presence of Petit Verdot is felt in the wine’s baritone fruit and muscular personality. This is without question a highly intriguing wine, but it needs a few years for all the elements to harmonize. The 2010 is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.
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Wine Spectator
Marked by an edge of dusty, loamy earth that gives the currant, anise and cedar a drying edge, yet the finish lingers and the flavors are pure and persistent.
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.