Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
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Tasting
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Wilfred
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Robert
Parker -
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James
Suckling
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Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is complex, displaying an intensity of aromas in the glass. The flavors are so well-integrated that it is difficult to identify specific characteristics. Hints of dark berries and cocoa powder are immediately apparent. The fruit in the aroma and on the palate show a rich maturity without overripe notes that would distract from the fruit. This big, well-structured Cabernet has a lively, balanced mouthfeel and texture.
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Fragrant nose of plum and berry; ripe fruit and tangy acidity as well as good depth, complexity, and a smooth texture. Balanced and long
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Atlas Peak Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent and persistent. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of black fruits and licorice, with an underly note of oak. Pair it with a grilled, well-marbled ribeye. (Tasted: November 14, 2022, Napa, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made by Robert Pepi, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley includes 10% Howell Mountain Merlot and spent 30 months in 40% new French oak. It's fragrant and cedary on the nose, but the wood is backed by attractive cherry and loam shadings. Medium to full-bodied, it's silky in feel on the palate, finishing with decent length and echoes of cherries and vanilla.
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Wine & Spirits
Robert Pepi makes this brash and friendly cabernet, presenting red fruit packed with volatile esters that keep it high-toned and gentle. Pour it with burgers off the grill.
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James Suckling
An intense character of ripe dark fruit, toasted oak, sweet spices and smoke. Full-bodied with sweetish, mellow fruit, ripe tannins and a long, fruity finish. 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. Drink or hold.
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Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is one of life’s great pleasures. Luscious berry fruit, multi-layered tannins, refined herbal notes and silky texture all combine to transport the wine lover to this incomparable California region, an area famous for long-lived red wines that offer wave after wave of drinking pleasure.
Some of the world’s best vineyards dot the mountain tops, hillsides, and lowlands of the Napa Valley. Framing the valley are the cornerstone mountain appellations of Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain District, and Mount Veeder. These areas provide ideal growing conditions for crafting bold, well-structured, ruggedly elegant wines—wines that can only come from great fruit and hard work in hard-to-reach places.
To craft the Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon, the winemakers work closely with vineyard partners to source the finest grapes from mountaintop and lower-elevation vineyards. They weave the fruit into a richly textured tapestry supported by a firm structure—a true “taste of Napa.” This wine, with its substantial length and enduring finish, bears testament to the elegance and refinement of 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 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.