Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This wine has matured beautifully and seems to be close to that plateau where all the component parts have melded together, in this case rather effortlessly. Vinified and brought up by French winemaking consultant Philippe Melka, this wine, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from their (at the time) tiny six-acre vineyard, produced less than 300 cases. Notes of charcoal, graphite, black currants, tobacco leaf and forest floor are all present in its complex aromatics. The color is a healthy dense ruby/purple and the wine medium to full-bodied, with beautiful intensity, purity and balance. This beauty, which is more in the elegant, feminine school of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
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.