Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Haystack Vineyard, a high elevation site on Atlas Peak, exhibits more earth and minerality as well as intense cassis and blackberry notes in the slightly more fragrant bouquet. This rich, full-bodied, impressive Cabernet will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring and keep for 15-20.
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Wine Spectator
Rich, dense and plush, marked by ripe dark berry, currant and blackberry flavors. Full-bodied, intense and focused, at points both plush and persistent. Best from 2012 through 2023. 710 cases made.
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Wine Enthusiast
The tannins stand front and center in this mountain wine, but they’re so finely textured, you hardly notice them. They glide over the palate, carrying along ultraripe blackberry flavors. A firm grounding of minerals provides additional structure. This rich Cabernet should develop bottle complexity over the next eight years.
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.