Winemaker Notes
The 2012 VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with aromas of black raspberry, dark chocolate, minerals, and wild herbs.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another remarkably pure wine that's still youthful, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR reveals cassis, leather, savory flowers, incense, and tobacco. It's full-bodied, deep, and layered, yet shows incredible elegance with no sensation of weight, and it has silky tannins and a gorgeous finish. Drinking at its peak today, it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking and I suspect a gradual decline thereafter.
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James Suckling
A glorious red with clay, tile, dark fruit and dusty texture. Full body, ripe tannins and a long and rich finish. Very, very long and intense. A beauty. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Brims with ripe, zesty black cherry, blackberry and raspberry flavors, with dusty, cedary oak accents on the finish. Drink now through 2024.
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Wine Spectator
Brims with ripe, zesty black cherry, blackberry and raspberry flavors, with dusty, cedary oak accents on the finish. Drink now through 2024.
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.