Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This great vineyard situated on the hillsides north of St. Helena has produced a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. A sensational offering from proprietors Chuck and Anne McMinn, it offers up beautiful floral, blueberry, black currant, blackberry, licorice and incense aromas. Not a hard edge is to be found in this full-bodied, multidimensional, complex, world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. With sweet tannin as well as a skyscraper-like texture, it is performing even better than it did early in life. One of the superstars of the vintage, it can be drunk over the next 10-15 years.
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.