Winemaker Notes
Exclusive Premiere Napa Valley Wine
Premiere Napa Valley, the annual grand tasting and futures auction, helps the Napa Valley Vintners fund their efforts to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation. These wines tell the stories of the soils, microclimates and remarkable personalities which make up the rich mosaic of Napa Valley. They represent the quality and innovation for which America's leading wine region has become known and are among the world's rarest wines. Each Premiere Napa Valley bottle is signed and numbered by the vintner. The wines are offered annually at auction only to restaurateurs and fine wine retailers. Wine.com participates has secured some of the country's most coveted barrel lots in each of the past six 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.