Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A dark-fruited nose with plums and blackberries, as well as black truffle and earthy notes. The palate has a supple and even thread of blueberry flavor and supple, layered tannins. A blend of 89 per cent cabernet sauvignon with some merlot, syrah and cabernet franc.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a gem of a vineyard in St. Helena and a mix of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Syrah, and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard Estate offers a fresh, complex bouquet of plums, blueberries, gravelly minerality, and incense. It's more focused and streamlined compared to the Three D release (which is a 2015), has terrific purity of fruit, medium body, and good length. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
7% Merlot; 3% Syrah; 1% Cabernet Franc. Making a very good aromatic start with a layered nose of black cherries, cassis, toasty oak, cola and a touch of loamy soil, Salvestrin’s basic Napa Valley bottling is a complete, moderately deep Cabernet that, despite its nominal varietal tannins, already shows an attractive sense of tactile polish as well as fine fruity confidence to its lengthy, slightly succulent flavors. It encourages further cellaring without forcefully demanding it, and those willing to exercise even a few years of patience will be handsomely rewarded.
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.