Winemaker Notes
Dense, rich and generously concentrated, mixing power with finesse. Pure, ripe, riveting aromas of blackberry, blueberry, currant, sage, espresso and tobacco lead to a full-bodied palate, sliding beautifully into the finish, where the flavors gain traction.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
On a whole other level, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mise en Place is unquestionably the star of the show here and checks in as 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot brought up in 50% new French oak. It reveals a healthy purple color as well as a ripe, sexy bouquet of plums, black cherries, charcuterie, and leafy herbs. With medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannin, and a mouthfilling texture, it’s a seamless Oakville Cabernet that can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
An array of rich dark-plum, blueberry and chocolate aromas leading to a palate that has a very supple, even and smoothly rendered textural quality. Long, ripe and plush finish. A blend of 89 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 11 per cent merlot.
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Wine & Spirits
This cabernet, from a rocky site on the east side of the valley, includes merlot from the western benchlands. The wine is fresh up front, with floral scents of currants and blueberries, then a little rough around the edges as the substantial, youthful tannins take hold. Oak impacts the finish, but there’s a lot of flavor density that should lengthen with bottle age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended with 13% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mise en Place opens with florals over cassis, black cherries and earth plus a tobacco hint. Medium to full-bodied and chewy, the palate has a good core of youthful fruit and an earthy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Thick in oak and tannin, this wine has grip and tension that underlie a foundation of savory cedar, currant, clove and tobacco. This will do well over time; enjoy 2022–2026.
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Wine Spectator
A focused, tight and slightly reticent style, with the core of red and black currant flavors having a steeped edge but showing only hints of the additional singed cedar, dried anise and tobacco notes. Light tugs of earth and juniper show through the finish. Will cellar well; for fans of the less showy style. Best from 2020 through 2026.
Textbook was inspired by the Pey Family's travels in France and Italy, where they learned about wine and its place at the table. While abroad, they fell in love with European craftsmanship – wines made with structure, restraint, and revealing a 'sense of place.' For nearly two decades, they've fulfilled that vision – crafting exceptional, while approachable wines that truly represents the best a region has to offer.
Their high-caliber grower and producer partners provide them with superior lots, allowing them to consistently deliver complexity and quality vintage to vintage.
Winemaker Abigail "Abi" Horstman Estrada sources small lots from a range of climates and soils, providing a diverse palette of flavors and aromatics. She honed her winemaking chops in Italy, New Zealand, and Israel and worked for prestige brands like Markham, Domaine Chandon, and Robert Mondavi in Napa Valley. She crafts Textbook wines by keeping the lots separate, tasting them throughout the year, and then integrating the components to create balanced, complex wines that can be enjoyed independently or with various cuisines.
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.