Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wow. Lots of blueberry and raspberry aromas here, with mint too. Full body, with fine and silky tannins and plenty of fruit and mint character. Fascinating wine. Balanced and pretty. Best after 2014.
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Wine Enthusiast
A great, upscale wine to drink now with the best you can pair it with. It shows classic Napa character, with firm, dry tannins, fine acidity and blackberry and black currant flavors. It’s almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon, with tiny additions of other Bordeaux varieties. Give it a good decant, or cellar it for 5–7 years and see what happens.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
From its keen curranty fruit to its very solid, tannin-firmed frame to its complexing touches of briar and loam, this bottling hits all the varietal marks smartly, and it is a fine cameo of what good Napa Cabernet is all about. It is, however, nowhere close to yet showing its best, and the challenging astringency that washes through its finish is also the stuff of young Cabernet. Its fruit is still standing well after the count and will comfortably keep this noteworthy youngster on the right track for the four to six years that it so clearly deserves.
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.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.