Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Pure, rich and taut, with a tasty core of blackberry, plum and wild berry, accented by hints of savory herb, cedar and crushed rock. Offers complexity, structure and style. Drink now through 2028.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The two bigger red wines are the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon The Ranch and, as Scott Snowden said, there wasn't enough difference between this cuvee to justify a Reserve. Elegant red and black currant fruit with dusty loamy soils notes, a hint of coffee beans and subtle background oak are all present in this deep, medium to full-bodied, stylish wine that seems to want to behave like a French Bordeaux, but clearly has the ripeness and flesh of Napa.
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.