Winemaker Notes
Bold aromas of dusted blackberries and toasted Bermuda Cedar surrender to tertiary tones of bright cherry compote, transporting the senses to broad brush strokes of the darkly brooding fruit to come. On the palate, ripe black and red berries pirouette in flashes, building momentum through tannins to reveal textural finesse and freshness that persists all the way through the dynamic finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a beauty. Gorgeous, dense purple color, loads of crème de cassis, graphite, powerfully textured and layered flavors, with ripe tannin and super extract make for a great wine in a great vintage. This should age effortlessly for 25-30+ years.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and chewy, with a rough-and-tumble mix of dark berry, licorice and gravelly earth flavors, accented by hints of cedar and lead pencil. Backward and very tannic now, this should make a pleasant turnaround with about five years of cellaring. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.