Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Enthusiast, by Steve Heimoff, 96 points:
Editor's Choice Classic and harmonious, a very solid Napa 100% Cabernet that's dry and firmly tannic in the mouth. Feels balanced, harmonious, ageworthy, a wine without seams or faults. Fruity, but not overly so, with the blackberries and black currants generously balanced by herbs, minerals and cedar. Very classic and noble wine, and one to cellar through at least 2018.
2005 Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Spectator, by James Laube, 93 points:
A complex, rich and creamy-textured style, with layers of currant, mocha, wild berry and vanilla-laced oak, all folding together nicely. Tightly focused, long and persistent, with an excellent balance of tannins and acidity. Best from 2009 through 2015. 930 cases made.
Food & Wine, by Ray Isle:
California Cabs to Watch—Hestan Vineyards owner Stanley Cheng (who created Circulon and Anolon cookware) recently released this new line of wines, named for his daughter. The 2005 Cabernet mingles sweet black fruit with subtle oak nuances.
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, 91 points:
Dark red. Blackberry, blueberry, mocha and a whiff of leather on the nose. Sweet, rich, velvety and deep; fat with fruit but there's solid spine underneath to give the wine shape. Really spreads out to coat the palate on the aftertaste while retaining a light touch. Finishes with compelling sweetness and broad, ripe tannins.
Connoisseur’s Guide, 91 points:
84% Cabernet Sauvignon; 6% Merlot; 5% Petit Verdot; 3% Cab-ernet Franc; 2% Malbec. Ripe and fruity, a touch tighter and a touch higher in cassis-like qualities, this attractive wine matches its mate in richness and overall come-hither character. One could argue that it is higher in tannin, but the astringent load here is not all that much different. Both are very attractive wines clearly going in the same direction.
Andrea Immer Robinson, 92 points:
Intensely concentrated, dense and opulent, without being cloying. This wine is utterly voluptuous but maintains a dark tension to its sensuality, with scents of licorice, unsweetened baking chocolate, and thick, sweetly dense fruit on the palate cloaking velvety tannins and carrying through to the long finish.