Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Menthol, berry and mint aromas follow through to a full body, chewy tannins and a medium finish. Needs time to resolve the angular tannins. Better in 2018.
-
Wine Enthusiast
This subtle, classically-styled red includes 6% Merlot, all of the fruit hailing from the producer's organic Chiles Valley estate. It's bright with red and blue fruit and earthy accents of mushroom and clove. Moderate tannin buoy it without bogging it down, giving it broadness on the palate and carrying its flavors long into the finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
An elegant, juicy 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chiles Valley has 16% Merlot in the blend. The wine has a dark ruby/purple color, sweet tannin, loads of raspberry, strawberry and black cherry fruit, a touch of underlying soil notes, medium to full body and a supple, velvety mouthfeel. This is classy, elegant and seductive Cabernet Sauvignon made in a feminine style. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Nestled in the Vaca Mountains on the northeast side of Napa Valley, Chiles Valley is one of the cooler Napa subregions with vineyards at about 600 to 1,200 feet in elevation. The region is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon blanc.