Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The latest entrant into the Napa Cabernet sweepstakes succeeds with this flashy wine. Made from grapes grown in the warm Vaca Hills east of the Silverado Trail, this wine impresses immediately with aromatics of black currants, mocha and lightly toasted French oak. In the mouth, it's pure Cabernet pleasure, with soft, compelling tannins and fine acidity. It's a dramatic wine that should develop well over the next 10 years, if not longer. This is a winery to watch.
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.