Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It is interesting to compare it to the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which ratchets up the level of concentration, power and intensity. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of black currants, loamy soil, forest floor, licorice and baking spices. Rich, opulent, medium to full-bodied and more concentrated and layered than its younger sibling, it should drink well for 10-15+ years.
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Wine Spectator
Pure and well-focused on dark berry, with plum, currant and black cherry at the core. Cedar, crushed rock and loamy earth notes emerge on the finish, where the tannins give the flavors traction. Drink now through 2024.
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.