Winemaker Notes
Juicy and forward, exploding with fruit – black cherries, plum – highlighted byhints of spice, including cloves and tobacco. The 2022 version of our Ranchcuvée shows the sunny, hedonistic side of California, a vintage leaving littleroom for savory, reserved-styled wines. The ‘22 Ranch cleans into theexuberance which made fruit-forward wines so very popular. The tannins aremelted to the point of a mere suggestion, but the acidity our site classicallyretains is there keeping the finish crisp.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lifted savory aromas of blackcurrants, rose hips and tobacco leaves. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and acidity, giving tightly wound notes of mulberries, graphite and cedar.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Snowden's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon The Ranch blends in 24% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Scents of black cherries are joined by hints of vanilla, cedar and brown sugar on the nose, while the full-bodied palate shows a good bit more structure and tannin than the Merlot (as there should be), but the wine still retains a sense of elegance on the velvety, tea-tinged finish.
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Wine Spectator
Mulled plum and cherry fruitis slightly muted in energy but percolates steadily a long side dried anise and sassafras hints. A flash of red tea adds range on the finish, where a slightly toothy plum skin note hangs. Overall this is less overt than the typical ’22, with some stylish character.
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.