Winemaker Notes
Ripe, focused flavors of cherry, boysenberry, and blackcurrant are complemented by soft notes of cedar, bay leaf, and a savory earthiness. On the palate, this wine has a fruit-driven entry balanced with firm tannins that give way to a lush, lingering finish.
This wine shines with red meats and copious amounts of thyme and black pepper or ahi tuna crusted in black pepper.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
One of the compelling reasons for the 'nesting' of Napa's AVAs is to prove just how different the Valley's sub-districts can be, something that this wine from Oak Knoll makes admirably clear. The wine is a dark opaque black, but its soft, respiring resins and calmly ordered fruits alert the drinker from the aromatic profile alone that the wine has nothing monstrous or disproportionate about it. It's ripe but supple and graceful, with as much juicy acidity as textured tannins: drinkable, accessible and fresh. The Napa hallmark of opulence is there in the succulent grain of the fruit, but in every other respect this is deft, finely judged midweight.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Trefethen Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon drinks famously well. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with aromas and flavors of black fruits and savory spices. Enjoy it with grilled chicken wings and thighs. (Tasted: February 21, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.