Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This sleek black wine has layers of rich tannin, ranging from the graphite feel of pencil lead to something more pungently mineral - it grows in gravelly clay loam and decomposed volcanic soils. The fruit is floral and super-ripe, lasting in balance with the complex tannins.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and fleshy, with a zesty core of red and black cherry, currant and cranberry notes that are pure and focused, showing a dusty, minerally edge and ending with nicely structured tannins. Tempting now. Decant. Best from 2010 through 2017. 1,826 cases made.
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.