Textbook 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
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Sumptuous dark cherry and clove greet the palate of this well-made wine, which is well integrated and silky smooth. Refined tannins wrap around a juicy core of additional cassis and currant, finishing in an elegant touch of vanilla oak. Virginie Boone
All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide contextvintage, variety or appellationbut never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
Ratings reflect what our editors felt about a particular product. Beyond the rating, we encourage you to read the accompanying tasting note to learn about a products special characteristics.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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 wasnt until the 1970s that this marriage came to light sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stags 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 Sauvignons 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 soilas a perfect example, Rutherfords famous dust or Stags Leap District‘s tart cherry flavors.
Best Wineries For Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
If youre doing Napa Valley for the first time or the fifteenth, youll likely be tasting a lot of cabernet sauvignon during your visit. Cabernet is, after all, acknowledged as the king of red grapes in Napa, dominating 40% of the regions total production. With a terroir perfectly suited for growing cabernet, Napa has certainly found its sweet spot with this much loved Bordeaux grape, and the results are powerful, deeply layered, and age-worthy wines showcasing notes of black fruit, violets, tobacco, and cedar, to name a few.
Of course, the sheer number of wineries in Napa featuring cabernet and cabernet blends is enough to overwhelm any wine taster, so where to start? To help guide you, weve put together a list of 13 of the most famous names in Napa cabernet welcoming visitors, along with a few lesser known wineries worth noting. Make some room in your cellar, because we have a feeling youll be going home with a few new bottles.
Courtesy of Pine Ridge Vineyards
5901 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558, 252-9777
Courtesy of Canard | Adam Fox
1016 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515, 942-1149
Courtesy of Beaulieu Vineyard
1960 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA 94573, 257-5749
Courtesy of Cliff Lede
1473 Yountville Cross Road, Yountville, CA 94599, 944-8642
Courtesy of Stags Leap Winery
6150 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558, 257-5790
Courtesy of Round Pond
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Wine & Vintage Details
Tasting Notes
A bold and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is big and plush with voluptuous layers of ripe dark berry fruit aromas and flavors of black cherry, black currant, cassis and raspberry pie, alongside baking spice notes of cardamom, clove and nutmeg. Hints of cedar and oak spice dance on the palate and are enveloped by the velvety-rich tannins and unctuous structure. This Cabernet is warm and inviting with tremendous depth and concentration. Beautifully drinking upon release and will age for many years to come.
Vintage
Overall, 2017 proved to be a slightly smaller yielding vintage but one of exceptional quality. A brief period of warm weather occurred during Labor Day weekend which accelerated the harvest in some areas. Temperatures subsided just when we needed and the fruit was allowed to mature and ripen perfectly on the vines before harvest officially began. Overall, a quick and intense harvest, with althea fruit picked within two to three weeks, but the quality of the vintage shows great flavor intensity, perfect ripening and maturity, lovely balance and complexity.
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