Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet is again one of the best examples of terroir.
This vintage shows the classic Vine Hill notes of dried herbs and roasted red meats with sage, basil and fennel. This is slightly more black fruited on the palate than most 2019 Cabernets. The amazing texture and balance continues to resonate through the long silky finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another release from Oakville, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is almost all Cabernet (there's 1% Petit Verdot) and comes from a single, rocky parcel in the vineyard. It has incredible purity in its cassis, spring flower, spicy oak, graphite, and subtle iron aromas and flavors. A singular wine in the lineup with its pure, focused, balanced, almost old school style, this medium to full-bodied, incredibly impressive 2019 has solid mid-palate density, ripe, velvety tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's the purity of fruit, balance, and quality of the tannins that set this beauty apart. Hide bottles for 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
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James Suckling
Complex aromas of plums, herbs and dried flowers. Currants, too. Full-bodied, yet so integrated and framed with ripe, firm tannins and long, long finish. Goes on for minutes. Real Napa cab!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch reveals a very deep, opaque purple color and vivacious, fruity scents of crushed blueberries, black raspberries, warm plums and cassis plus nuances of menthol, dark chocolate and pencil lead. Full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating, ripe black fruits with minty sparks and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and with lovely purity.
Barrel Sample: 94-96
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.