Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesAs difficult as it may be to believe, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family Vineyard may be even better than the Merlot. Glorious notes of forest floor, blackcurrants, blackberries, mocha and espresso emerge from this full-bodied, majestically concentrated wine boasting an expansive, broad texture, stunning purity, a 50-second finish, enormous body, and no sense of overbearing, over-ripeness or heaviness. Alcoholphobes should not be concerned about the wine’s 15.5% alcohol content as there is not a trace of heat in the fresh flavors. Drink this beauty over the next 10-15 years.
Builds richness, depth and density, riding a firm core of blackberry, wild berry, cherry, plum and smoky, cedary oak, with touches of tobacco leaf and sage that impart a drying edge to the finish. Drink now through 2028.
A big and rich style of cabernet with lots of dark berry and hints of jam. Full-bodied, round and intense. A little overdone for me but I like it all the same.
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.