Winemaker Notes
Situated at 2,000 feet, this warmer site expresses a great deal of fruit—in 2010 one finds a compote of freshly crushed berries alongside dark chocolate and fresh tobacco. The palate is round and expansive, marked by flavors of Santa Rosa plum, fresh pine notes and ripe, chalky tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall, matured for 19 months in 42% new oak, is scented of blackcurrant, green pepper, tobacco, violet and cigar ash, striking a compelling balance of fruit, floral perfume and notes of maturity. The medium-bodied palate is equally vibrant, offering concentrated flavors of blueberry and botanicals. Its powerful, grainy tannins have begun to soften, bringing its juicy acidity to the fore, which complements its surprisingly youthful fruit.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is an awesome Cabernet, that’s so packed with blackberries and cassis, it blows your mind. The richness is superbly balanced by fine acidity and sweet, complex tannins that rein everything into a focused structure. Feels velvety, refined and ageable. Hold until 2018 and drink it for an additional decade or beyond.
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James Suckling
A very pretty red with mint, berry and dark-chocolate character. Full body with polished tannins and a fresh finish. Drink or hold.
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.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.