Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Once a significant source of outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the all-but-forgotten Yverdon Vineyard finds new voice in this deep, impressively fruited, wholly compelling young wine. Optimally ripened cassis is its mainstay, and it is enriched with lots of very sweet oak, and, even if heat and ample tannin creep into the wine's finish, fruit fights effortlessly past both. Allow for three or four years of aging, but expect this one to grow for at least twice the time.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dark ruby/purple colored 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Yverdon Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) displays notes of graphite, pen ink, blackberry, and cassis intermixed with hints of toast and earth. This wine is the most opulent of the group, but then in the finish the tannins kick in. It is the biggest wine, but needs 2-3 years of cellaring and should keep well for 15+ years.
90+ points.
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.