Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Linear and tight now with blackberries and blackcurrants, sage and fresh rosemary. Medium to full body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Tight and focused. Forest floor and mushrooms at the finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dense blue/purple-colored 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate possesses a complex bouquet of black cherry and black currant liqueur, forest floor, baking spice and subtle background oak. This rich, complex, full-bodied 2009 is just beginning to open and show tertiary nuances. It should continue to age well for 20-25 years.
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Wine Spectator
This pure, elegant red delivers supple, refined red berry, black cherry and subtle spicy-floral scents. Offers less richness than some Staglins, yet shows delicacy and finesse. Drink now through 2024
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.