Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
An absolute blockbuster of a wine, the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is still youthfully purple-hued and has awesome aromatics of sweet currants, minty herbs, tobacco, and lead pencil shavings. This full-bodied, concentrated Hillside Select is cut from the same cloth as the 2002 and is opulent, has sweet, velvety tannins, flawless overall balance, and an incredible finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep garnet colored with a hint of purple, this has a powerful nose of blackcurrant cordial, kirsch and prunes with plenty of baking spices and dark chocolate. Very big, full and rich in the mouth, it has a firm level of velvety tannins, crisp acid and a very long finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Saturated ruby. Inky aromas of black and bitter cherry, menthol and nut skin. Dense, thick and supple, with powerful underlying structure; still rather imploded on the palate but this possesses explosive fruit. Great fat and richness. Essence of Stags Leap cabernet. Finishes very long, with lush, thoroughly ripe tannins. A great young California cabernet.
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Wine Spectator
Aging nicely, mature yet structured, with dried currant, mineral, sage and dusty cedary oak. Keeps its focus on the core earth and currant flavors. Still deep and intense, with persistent flavors.
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.