Winemaker Notes
87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot, aged 19 months in 80% new French oak. This Bordeaux look-alike offers lots of ripe raspberry and blackcurrant fruits, leafy herbs, cedar, and floral/herbes de Provence-like notes to go with a supple, rounded, sexy profile on the palate. It shows the elegant, charming style of the vintage, has no hard edges, and offers sweet tannins. Drink it anytime over the coming 10-15 years. 1896 cases.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
In 2014 the yields were sightly higher than in 2015, and his 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate shows flattering, front-end loaded and pretty red and black fruits, a dense, dark ruby/purple-tinged color, medium to full body, sweet tannin and a rather Bordeaux-like lushness and elegance. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.
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.