Winemaker Notes
Our Alexander Valley Cabernet is incredibly food friendly, bringing out the best in grilled strip loin with roasted mushroom jus, Moroccan spiced lamb shoulder with capers and preserved lemon, roasted venison with huckleberry sauce, or pork pot roast with prunes.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Rich, ripe and juicy with smooth texture and lush style; deep, intense and balanced; long and supple.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
An excellent value, the red-fruited 2013 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon surpasses many others in the marketplace that are $$$s more in price. This wine exhibits pretty red fruits, savory herbs, and a touch of leather. Its complex finish makes a fine choice with pan-seared lamb chops. (Tasted: March 28, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine & Spirits
Bold, supple blue fruit gives this cabernet an impression of simple, healthy richness, while that exuberance is held in check by a tannic grip that seems to come from fruit skin as much as oak. It’s already accessible, but may gain additional dimension with a few years in bottle. Well-priced and smartly crafted, it’s a wine for roast beef.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.