96 Points - Chris Sawyer "Sommelier to the Stars"
To separate itself from the massive number of Cabernets aged in French oak barrels, this elegant and complex release is aged in fine American oak. As a result, this high-end, limited release offering joins an elite class of producers, including Silver Oak, Peter Michael and Ridge Vineyards, which work with specialty barrels that are hand-crafted with fine-grain wood from oak forests in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and other selected states.
The fruit is from the famed Oakville & Atlas Peak appellations in Napa Valley and slowly aged for 24 months to allow plenty of time to soften the tannins and add layers of additional nuances to the finished blend.
Food Pairings: Blue cheese, roasted eggplant, pan-seared duck with wild berry sauce, juicy ribeye steaks, rack of lamb, and flourless chocolate cake.
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley
Alcohol: 14.5% by volume
Aging: 24 months on American oak
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
94 Points
Opulent dark fruited with blackberry and ironstone mineral character, blue fruit notes, and violets with crushed cocoa nibs nuances and a long dark chocolate and mineral-scented finish. Ultra delicious and quite lengthy.
98 Points
Deep purple hue and an alluring aromatic profile of fresh blue fruits and delicate violets. On the palate, it delivers a seamless and layered texture, framed by supple, polished tannins and a refined sense of balance. Elegantly structured, it offers remarkable purity and finesse, finishing with graceful length and poise.
95 Points
This stellar Napa Valley Red Blend marries lush plum and cherry with Malbec's dark berry depth and Petit Verdot's structure and spice. Layered with notes of blackberry, violet, and cocoa, this silky wine finishes with smooth tannins and a whisper of toasted oak. Robust and mouth-filling, with spicy nuances, smooth tannins, firm structure, and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of fresh black currants, kirsch, and mulberries... Full-bodied, the palate delivers a firm line of grainy tannins with bold freshness to frame the muscular black fruit, finishing long and cedary.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
