Winemaker Notes
The wine displays a deep, dark, oil-like sheen with glimmers of scarlet and blush; on the nose, it reveals an aromatic blend of oregano, thyme, and black pepper layered with lavender and tomato stems, evolving into notes of black currant reduction, paprika, clay, and wild strawberries; the palate opens with a fresh entry, developing into a dense mid-palate supported by lasting granular tannins and touches of chalky minerality, highlighted by boysenberry and fresh elderberry.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Thick and concentrated in red berry and cassis, this wine features oak that is moderate yet present, with a mineral-like underbelly of stone and earth. Granular, muscular and lasting in baking spice, tea and clove, it showcases the great site, the vintage and the winemaking all in one with ease and elegance.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sporting a very deep opaque purple color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrashe Vineyard charges out of the gate with energetic scents of crushed blackberries, black cherries and black currant cordial, followed by hints of cedar chest, clove oil, violets and mocha plus a waft of black truffles. The full-bodied palate is laden with tightly wound, crunchy black fruits with lots of earthy and savory nuances and a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and mineral laced.
Rating:95+ -
Wine Spectator
Plush and warm, with cassis, steeped plum and blackberry puree flavors that glide through atop polished tannins, while licorice, cocoa and fruitcake notes fill in on the finish. Ends on the toasty side but will certainly have fans. Best from 2023 through 2034.
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James Suckling
An attractive and surprisingly delicate cabernet with currant, blackberry and some chocolate and hazelnut. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a delicious finish.
Wines, like people, are a reflection of their origin and evolution. The Debate are Napa Valley wines crafted by respected winemaker Jean Hoefliger (Lynch-Bages, Newton Vineyard, Alpha Omega, AXR, Harbison and many others). The Debate focuses on the unique terroirs of single vineyard sites for Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc exclusively.
The Debate began in 2010 when two friends brought their unique perspectives together to create thought provoking and delicious wines that extend beyond the sense of taste to the thrill of telling stories and the art of listening. By selecting three different vineyards with three different expressions of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the Debate seeks to point out the diversity of terroir as well as the diversity of people.
We live in an age where less and less time is spent at the dinner table discussing these different points of view. The Debate mission is to bring people together to share a glass of wine to discuss and debate just as our team does. Every vintage of The Debate is wrapped in newspaper with “The Debates” of the vintage. Whether its politics, sports, pop-culture or world events, you have the opportunity to reminisce a time, a place and a vintage in history with the people around you.
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.