Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the strongest wines of the vintage, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a worthy rival to Seavey’s gorgeous 2007. A blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9.5% Petit Verdot, it was cropped very low and, sadly, the production is a tiny 475 cases (30-40% less than normal). The wine’s dense opaque purple color is followed by notes of volcanic ash, burning embers, camphor, blackberries, cassis and cedar. The wine reveals terrific fruit on the attack, a full-bodied mid-palate and a multilayered textural mouthfeel. Dense, rich and pure with noticeable but sweet tannins, this big, formidably endowed Cabernet Sauvignon will age gracefully for 20-25 years.
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Wine Spectator
A classy effort, firm and focused on spicy, loamy earth and dusty currant flavors. Holds and gains depth, ending with crushed rock, green olive and cedary cigar box notes. Fine-grained tannins.
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.