Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a beautiful wine, although more recent vintages may ultimately prove to be even better, particularly the 2007. This blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, from one of Napa’s prestigious sites on the valley floor tucked behind the town of St. Helena, has a dense blue/purple color and a beautifully sweet nose of spring flowers intermixed with raspberry jam, blueberries and black currants. Some licorice and subtle oak are followed by a quintessentially elegant yet substantial wine with sweet tannins, medium to full body and a seamless texture. Drinkable already, the wine will continue to offer the more elegant, complex, evolved style of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon produced in 2001 for at least another 15-20 years.
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Wine Spectator
This is a beautiful wine, although more recent vintages may ultimately prove to be even better, particularly the 2007. This blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, from one of Napa’s prestigious sites on the valley floor tucked behind the town of St. Helena, has a dense blue/purple color and a beautifully sweet nose of spring flowers intermixed with raspberry jam, blueberries and black currants. Some licorice and subtle oak are followed by a quintessentially elegant yet substantial wine with sweet tannins, medium to full body and a seamless texture. Drinkable already, the wine will continue to offer the more elegant, complex, evolved style of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon produced in 2001 for at least another 15-20 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Another fabulous '01 Napa Cab. This beauty maintains a pleasing balance between the sheer power of its well-ripened cherry and blackberry fruit flavors, and an earthy quality grounded in firm tannins and good acidity. Totally balanced, dry and harmonious, this Cab exudes elegance and style.
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.