Winemaker Notes
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Zinfandel.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Proprietary Red Blend Cuttings is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine, but blended with some Petite Sirah and Syrah as well as a touch of Zinfandel. This is outstanding wine, and there are 5,000 cases of it. The Cabernet comes from top sites such as the Inkgrade Vineyard that Les Behrens made well-known. The wine offers plenty of blackberry and cassis fruit as well as some licorice, truffle, and lead pencil shavings. It is full-bodied, again very opulent (a hallmark of all of the wines from The Prisoner) and finishes authoritatively. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.
Rating: 91+ -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Highway 29 in the Napa Valley should be super proud of this wine, this taste just like if I were to plant myself in the vineyard and lick the grapes off of the vines at the point of harvest. The 2013 Cuttings is a solid Cabernet and one of the best at this price point. Deep ruby, black color; alluring and almost outrageous aromas of black currants and raspberry jam, bold; full bodied, sassy, smooth and fine on the palate; dryish, moderate acidity, well balanced; ripe berried fruit and light savory earth in the flavors, nice dollop of sweet oak; medium to long finish, smooth and layered in the aftertaste. Drinks nicely now. (Tasted: December 2, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
Covering the most vine acreage in the state compared to any other red wine variety, Cabernet Sauvignon produces as much wine in California as Merlot and Pinot Noir combined. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates, as well as the freedom of its winemakers, allow for an incredible range of wine styles from this single grape.
California’s most famous region—and especially for Cabernet Sauvignon—is the acclaimed Napa Valley. While Cabernet is successful throughout the world, rarely has it achieved such merit as it does from the Napa Valley. At this point the two are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other.
Napa’s closest neighbor, Sonoma County, does an impressive job keeping up with Napa’s fame and glory. Alexander Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain and Knights Valley contribute to the lot of some of California’s top-rated Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lake County in California’s North Coast has become a focus for some of Napa’s more respected growers. From the Central Coast come iconic examples of classic California Cabernet; Lodi and the Sierra Foothills are great budget-friendly sources of amicable Cabernets.