Winemaker Notes
2016 has classic Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon aromas of blue and red fruits, accented with fresh herbs (sage) and floral qualities.
The real difference is observed in the mouth feel. Unlike 2015 where Cabernet struggled to have the girth and roundness we’ve
become accustomed to, 2016’s generous fruit profile and richer textures almost needed restraint. The texture allows the wine to
be enjoyed quite young, however time will certainly reward those who wait as complexity increases aromatically.
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dried berry, cocoa dust, roasted wood and cracked pepper aromas show on the nose of this bottling. There is a strong espresso bean and cocoa combination to the palate, where charred blackberry, plum and fig elements make for a comfortingly roasted flavor profile.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Verdot, 4% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc) is deeper colored and offers a textbook bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedarwood, and earth. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, balanced, and with some chewy tannins and obvious structure, drink this charming, balanced Cabernet any time over the coming 10-15 years.
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.
On the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, the rolling hills of the tiny Happy Canyon AVA produce top quality reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and whites from Sauvignon blanc. The region’s low-nutrient soil grows smaller vines and in turn, higher quality wine grapes.