Winemaker Notes
This elegant wine pairs best with fine cuts of beef or venison. A simple compliment to the meat can be fresh tarragon or black pepper. Other favorite recipes include wine braised short ribs and grilled beef tenderloin with a mushroom sauce. For something unexpected and delightful, pair this wine with rare Ahi tuna in a peppercorn crust.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 4% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot, this is an impressive wine well worthy of the producer's 50th anniversary. Currant, boysenberry and light handfuls of spice are wrapped in soft, polished tannins that offer an elegant length.
Editors' Choice -
Decanter
Lack of rain combined with a warm summer resulted in one of the earliest harvests this estate has seen, starting September 5. Smaller grapes than usual made this a very structured, concentrated wine, with plenty of tannin, savoury and spicy flavours, alongside aromas of bay leaves. The blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, and 4% Malbec — aged for 18 months in a mix of French, American and Hungarian oak — marks a new level of quality.
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James Suckling
A fresher, welcome expression for 2015 that shows notes of Thai basil, chilli, herb, cedar, elderberries and crushed violets. Really nicely composed with vibrant acidity, linear, firm tannins and a chewy finish. Drink now or hold.
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.