Winemaker Notes
This wine is full bodied and powerful, opening with aromatic anise, scents of sweet cassis, blackberries and smoky coffee that lead to a concentrated and lengthy finish. Approachable upon release and cellar worthy in proper aging conditions, Venge fans will love this wine for its fruit concentration and complex structure. Best now through 2025.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep ruby/purple with a seamless integration of oak, alcohol, wood and tannin, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Silencieux is a smoothly textured, dense ruby/purple-colored wine with enormous fruit extract, loads of blueberry and blackberry notes, a touch of oak and charcoal. It's full-bodied, opulent and easier to drink than the two blockbuster 2012s. Drink now through 2031.
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Wine Enthusiast
Silencieux is the winemaker's showcase of five distinct vineyards, blended together into a seamless whole. The sites span from Calistoga through Rutherford to cooler Coombsville and Pope Valley, combining to offer chocolatey plum and red cherry, with the head-turning ability to be both bright and decadent simultaneously. Integrated tannin keeps the texture fresh on the palate, with a lingering waft of anise. Drink now through 2022.
Cellar Selection -
James Suckling
Lots of ripe and high-toned fruit with plenty of plum jam and blackberry character. Full and softly textured. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and well-defined, with a mix of black licorice, currant, dark berry and mocha-scented oak flavors. A tad rustic and chunky now, but a good bet to gain. The finish reveals crushed rock and minerally notes.
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.