Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From Napa, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville possesses a dense ruby/purple color, a complex nose of forest floor, licorice, baking spices, Christmas fruitcake, blackberries and cassis intermixed with hints of coffee as well as oak. This full-bodied, supple textured, velvety, showy Cabernet Sauvignon should drink well for 10-15+ years.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a 100% varietal wine from a prime appellation, memorably juicy in raspberry, cassis and red currant with a floral, almost tropical flirtation on the nose. Edgy tannins and a depth of concentration smooth out on the lengthy finish, giving this wine a sense of satisfying completion.
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Wine Spectator
Tightly wound, deep and concentrated, firmly tannic and chewy, with a loamy earth minerality to the dried dark berry, herb and licorice flavors. Subtle spice and cigar box notes emerge on the finish. Drink now through 2028.
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.