Winemaker Notes
A powerful-yet-balanced Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Blueberry, caramel, mocha, and spice aromas followed by black currant, bramble berry preserves flavors with hints of chocolate and coffee from French barrel aging. Bright and perfectly balanced acidity with velvety tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
From lauded winemaker Jonathan Pey and his colleague Abigail Estrada, this is a most approachable. stylized Cab from Napa Valley Blended with the four other Bordeaux varieties and aged 16 months in (35% new) French oak, it's ripe and ready, clocking in at 14.1% ABV. Dark plum and mocha are elegantly framed by pleasingly playful tannins, and the mouthfeel is round and sumptuous, with notable balance.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2022 Textbook Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon marries power and elegance, showcasing bold black fruit, pencil lead nuances, and subtle oak. Pair it with sautéed beef cubes enhanced by chili, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, and warm spices for a richly layered experience. (Tasted: December 21, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
A dry, well-balanced red that features red fruit and balsam aromas, then fresh raspberry and blackberry flavors on a full body. A bit lighter and less tannic than many Napa cabs. Elegant and poised.
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.