Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Softened by 6% Merlot, this lovely concoction opens with a waft of smoky cigar box, becoming a bold, loud expression of the variety dotted in classic notes of cassis and cedar. A luxuriously velvety texture is the standout, though, supported by great structure and length.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon If Six Was Nine is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot aged 20% in new French oak and the rest in one- and two-year-old barrels. This has a nice, crème de cassis and black raspberry aromatics, medium to full-bodied flavors, good, ripe tannin, a nice textured mouthfeel, excellent purity, richness and length. This wine represents a good value among high-end Napa Cabernet Sauvignons and should drink well for 12-15 or more 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.