Winemaker Notes
Bursting with energy, the 2020 Staglin Cabernet recalls the timelesswines which put Napa on the map. Intense aromatics of bright rubyplum, powdered violets, and crushed rosemary only hint at thedepth and complexity of this wine on the palate. Even at thisyouthful stage, this wine blends a medley of nutmeg & clove dustedrhubarb pie, polished tannins, and resinous forest floor withseamlessly integrated oak. A dense, red core of cheerful, focusedacidity foretells a long life ahead. Concluding with the elegance andfinesse expected of our estate, layers of herbs reveal themselves asthe wine enthusiastically invites another taste.
Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is an attractive, fruity wine. Crushed red berry fruit, sweet spice and floral notes are nicely delineated. The 2020 is a decidedly mid-weight wine with good balance for the year. Intense heat in the forecast led to picking on the early side. That, plus the natural challenges of the year, produced a decidedly light-bodied Cabernet by Staglin standards. On the plus side, there are no awkward contours. The 2020 has only been bottled recently, as Staglin held the wine in neutral oak to avoid any toast markers before being certain the wine was not tainted by smoke.
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Wine Spectator
A focused, reserved offering, with gently mulled red and black currant fruit mixed with hints of loam, tobacco and worn cedar. Reveals just a touch of grain through the finish (a hallmark of the vintage), but with enough fruit to get by. Drink now through 2034.
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.
The Rutherford sub-region of Napa Valley centers on the town of Rutherford and covers some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyard real estate, spanning from the Mayacamas in the west, to the Vaca Mountains on the other side of the valley.
Inside of the Rutherford AVA, bordering the Mayacamas, is a stretch of uplands called the Rutherford Bench. (These bench lands technically run the length of Oakville as well). Mountain runoff creates deep, well-drained, alluvial soils on the bench, giving vine roots plenty of reason to permeate deep into the ground. The result is wine with great structure and complexity.
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingons and Bordeaux Blends garner substantial attention for their enticing fragrances of dusty earth and dried herbs, broad and juicy mid-palates and lush and fine-grained tannins. The sub-appellation claims some of the valley’s most prized vineyards today, namely Caymus, Rubicon and Beckstoffer Georges III.
It is also home to Napa’s most influential and historic personalities. Thomas Rutherford, responsible for the appellation's name, made serious investments here in grape growing and wine production between the years of 1850 to 1880. Gustave Niebaum purchased a large swath of land and completed his winery in 1887, calling it “Inglenook.” Today this remains the oldest bonded winery in California. Georges Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900, making it the oldest continuous winery in the state. Latour also hired the famous enologist, André Tchelistcheff, a man credited for single-handedly defining the modern Napa winemaking style.