Winemaker Notes
The goal for Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon is richness and balance, with just the right amount of restraint to achieve a fresh, elegant example of Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s North Coast winegrowing region. On the nose, blackberry and boysenberry leap out of the glass with graphite and cedar adding complexity, while hints of sage and juniper maintain a fresh element. A focused entry with a generous mid-palate leads into a structured finish that lingers pleasantly.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe black fruit with notes of baking spices, pine cones, cedar and bark. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy tannins. Succulent and fruit-forward yet a little fluid in the finish. Lots of spices and hints of sandalwood at the end.
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.