Winemaker Notes
This Rutherford-dominated blend of Cabernet Sauvignon complemented by Bordeaux grape varieties offers aromas of blackberry cobbler, plum, and black currants, followed by warm hints of vanilla and caramelized black fruit. A concentrated, silky wine emphasizing varietal expression, richness and balance from start to finish.
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Juicy and sleek, with a dusty core of mocha and plum skin. Tannins smooth out on the midpalate to reveal dark fruit and balsamic. The finish endures, delivering coffee-cedar charm.
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James Suckling
Nicely tight, elegant, firm with tannins and alive with tasty red and black fruits. While velvety and approachable, this is a good vintage to cellar for several years for more complexity to develop. Great balance, freshness and linearity propel it through a lingering finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This velvety, opulent wine is rich in baked cherry and blackberry aromas, with dark chocolate and crème de cassis flavors. Layers of fruit and oak spices fill the palate, shaped gently by fine-grained tannins. Best from 2026–2034.
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Decanter
An instant Napa Classic with dusty minerals, black cherry and blue fruit, herbs, and dark chocolate notes. Medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, spiced plums, and plenty of upfront appeal with the tension to deliver the goods for another 5-7 years. Winemaker Jesse Fox joined Sequoia Grove in 2022 after a long stint at Amici Cellars and, before that, lengthy stays at Ram's Gate Winery and Harlan's Napa Valley Reserve. Fox blended all 160 lots of the 2021 red wines, and he did a tremendous job, hitting all the right marks, leaving plenty of room for fine-tuning in the coming years. Fox did more racking and blended earlier than was typical of his predecessor. He believes adequate racking is the best natural filtration process so the wines do not go through any additional filtering.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A smoking value, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has loads of up-front cassis and blackberry fruit to go with a layered, medium to full-bodied, juicy style that's already hard to resist. With some classic chocolate, spice, and leafy herb notes, ripe tannins, and a good finish, it's well worth seeking out. It will evolve for a solid 7-8 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
While Sequoia Grove's regular Cabernet Sauvignon may rarely win awards, it's been a consistent, reliable performer over the years, and it nearly always represents a good value. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon features hints of maple syrup, then bold black cherries and cassis. It's full-bodied and supple, easygoing but with enough concentration and structure to be more than just a quaffer. You could do a lot worse with a grilled ribeye, whether at home or at your local steakhouse.
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.