Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Rombauer Vineyards Diamond Selection Cabernet Sauvignon brings excellent density to the fore and into its finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine serves up aromas and flavors of black fruit, oak, and licorice. Pair its power-packed presence with a juicy, grilled ribeye topped with minced shallots. (Tasted: March 13, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
This is splashy, with mint and fruitcake notes out front, followed quickly by plum sauce, warmed cassis and açaí berry compote flavors that are liberally coated with a licorice note through the flattering finish. Obvious in style, but should certainly have its fans. Drink now through 2030.
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James Suckling
Dark plums, dark cherries, cassis, crushed stones, dried herbs and peppercorns on the nose. Full body with firm, creamy tannins. Round and ripe with a rich core of dark fruit on the palate and a warm, polished finish. Drink or hold.
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.