Winemaker Notes
On the palate, this bright and reflective ruby-colored wine is vivid and textured with considerable weight, revealing cherries and French vanilla with hints of graphite and cedar followed by smoky dark chocolate and lavender. A core block of vines, more than twenty years old, produced the grapes. This fantastically vibrant and concentrated wine promises to richly reward a few years of aging because of the superlative quality of the fruit and underlying and tannins. Indeed, upon release this wine is at the beginning of a 25+ year adventure during which its full promise will undoubtedly be revealed.
Blend: 94.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, a blend of 94.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5.5% Petit Verdot, exhibits sweet plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, burning ember and loamy soil notes, and a full-bodied, opulent, deep, chewy mouthfeel. Aged 20 months in 60% new French oak, it is a big, lusty, full-bodied, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon that is more approachable than most Seavey wines are at this age. It needs 3-5 years of cellaring and should keep for 25+ years.
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James Suckling
Aromas of licorice and dried flowers with currants. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Drink now or hold.
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.