Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa is a beauty, with loads of graphite, white chocolate, crème de cassis and blackberry fruit are present in this medium to full-bodied wine with excellent texture, length and personality. The wine tips the scales at 14.7% alcohol, and was aged 24 months in one-third new French oak. Stylistically it reminded me of a hypothetical blend of a Bordeaux-Medoc and a ripe Napa Cabernet. It's dark ruby purple and should drink well for 15 or more years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Blackberry, cherry and plum notes form this estate wine's fruity core, complemented by an earthy thread of cedar, pencil and tobacco. Dry, firm tannins give it a structure that takes time to unwind, the finish marked by powerful grace and spicy clove.
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.