Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is made from 100% Cabernet grown in the St. Helena estate vineyard. The wine is exceptionally pure and delicious, rich in black currant, chocolate, black cherry and lots of toasty new French oak. The all-important tannins are exquisitely ripe and as fine as velvet. Nowhere near ready, this wine wants a good eight years in the cellar, and will gradually evolve through the mid-2020s, at the very least.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The bottled 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard has turned out exceptionally well in this lighter, more challenging vintage. Sweet, creamy cassis, licorice, and subtle oak and smoke notes are present in this forward, evolved, sexy, full throttle Cabernet. While the 2010 may be slightly bigger, denser and more formidable, the amazing 2011 is certainly one of the stars of the vintage. A gorgeous, long, velvety finish adds to the appeal of this wine, which should be drunk over the next 10-15 years. The good news is 525 cases were produced.
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.