Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Harvest season was remarkably smooth and uneventful, a stark contrast to the 2020 fire season. Little rain and moderate temperatures throughout the growing months gave way to a low yielding, and flavor-intensifying crop. The wines produced from this harvest are dramatic, yet elegant, showing promise of becoming one of Napa's premier vintages.
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 3% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to Napa, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, all of which spent 20 months in 80% new French. Currants, smoked herbs, graphite, chocolaty oak, and some spring flower notes all give way to a rich, full-bodied, plush, layered wine that has terrific underlying structure. It's a gorgeous base cuv e that has so much to love.
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.