Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From another Howell Mountain vineyard, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa (96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc) , from a vineyard owned by Betty O’Shaughnessy, is a layered, voluptuously textured effort displaying lots of wild mountain berry fruit intermixed with Asian spices, graphite, toasty oak and forest floor. This massive, rich but beautifully balanced Cabernet is aged 24 months in 100% new French oak casks (as are the other Sbragian Cabernets). It should age effortlessly for 15-20 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.