Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon features a vibrant mélange of black cherry, black currants, cedar, and dried violets. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a distinct silkiness throughout, plus a touch of minerality that adds freshness and depth. There’s a sense of grace and liveliness to this wine. The finish is laser focused with refined length and whispers hints of dark chocolate and blackberry.
Blend: 79% Cabernet, 9% Petite Verdot, 8% Malbec and 4% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A nice, sleek Cabernet, with a bright mineral underpinning adding freshness to the mix of red currant, damson plum and floral notes. Shows subtle cedar, sanguine and savory echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2034. 1,866 cases made.
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James Suckling
Pure and fresh nose with a hint of stones and oatmeal to the lemon curd and green apples. Nicely saline on the medium-bodied palate with some grapefruit skins and white almonds in the finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Salvestrin's 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes largely from the winery's Crystal Springs Vineyard. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 4% Merlot, it was picked between September 12 and September 21. Scents of ripe cherries, restrained cedar, mocha shadings and bright raspberries appear on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, framed by gently dusty tannins and finishing tart and refreshing.
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Wine Enthusiast
This youthful, muscular, tannic wine is packed with generous red and dark plums, black cherries and oak spices that will evolve and sublimate as the tannins resolve over time. Fine to drink soon with meaty, cheesy dishes.
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.