Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Stack House Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with an intense plethora of dark brooding fruits including black currant, blackberry pie, black cherry and huckleberry compote. Following the fruit, layers of crushed volcanic rock, wet earth, toasty oak, baking spice and black pepper emerge. This full-bodied wine exhibits vibrant acidity, massive structure and an everlasting finish, all characteristic of the beautiful warm low-yielding vintage. Composed of almost all hillside fruit, this is an amazing value of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 6% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made by Anna Monticelli, the 2017 Stack House Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc. Coming 90% from mountain fruit and brought up in 85% new French oak, it's one of the best values in the vintage and has beautiful cassis, toasted spice, gravelly earth, and hints of graphite. It's beautifully done, medium to full-bodied, and textured, and drinks way above its price point. Anna commented that this was the finest vintage of this cuvée she’s made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes mainly from declassified mountain fruit. It is made up of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, aged 20 months in 85% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it features bombastic notes of black cherries, crème de cassis and warm plums with touches of cedar chest, pencil lead, menthol and forest floor. Full-bodied, firm and grainy, it has bold freshness and tons of black fruit layers, finishing on a spicy note. 5,000 cases made.
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.