Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Absolutely sublime is the blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon (from the Richard Grace clone of Cabernet) and 2% Merlot from the hillside vineyards, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate. There are 750 cases of this profound wine, which was aged in 85% new French oak for 20 months prior to being bottled and filtered. This was planted in 1989, so the vineyards are a quarter-century old. Opaque purple, with notes of creosote, incense, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, the wine has knockout ripeness, a multilayered, textured, full-bodied mouthfeel, but no hard edges, velvety tannin and a finish that goes on for a good 50+ seconds. This is the finest Cabernet Sauvignon ever to emerge from the 29 Estate and a credit to the proprietors Anne and Chuck McMinn. It should drink well for 30-35 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.