2019 Royal Prince Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon

2019 Royal Prince Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

93 JD

Sokolin Notes:
This 93 Point Napa Valley Cabernet Over-Delivers for the Price - Only $39.99!

From the critics:

91 WE

Featured Review

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is rock star stuff and delivers a classic Napa level of richness and depth while staying pure, clean, and beautifully balanced. Lots of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, spice, and hints of tobacco all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a rich, fleshy, opulent mouthfeel, good tannins, and a great finish. Don't miss this sexy, concentrated, impeccably made Cabernet! Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is rock star stuff and delivers a classic Napa level of richness and depth while staying pure, clean, and beautifully balanced. Lots of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, spice, and hints of tobacco all emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, with a rich, fleshy, opulent mouthfeel, good tannins, and a great finish. Don’t miss this sexy, concentrated, impeccably made Cabernet!

Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

This wine is a steal: well made and value-minded, with bright, soft and supple layers of well-integrated tannin and oak. Mocha, dark-cherry and cassis flavors ride along a texture of plush tannin and lengthy earthiness.

Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon : It is recognized worldwide, referred to as “king of grapes” and has easily become the most popular grape variety in the world. Cabernet Sauvignon has seemingly taken the world by storm. It has seen exponential growth and popularity in American and around the world over the past thirty years. The phrase “Cabernet is king,” is a common maxim in the world of wine. Cabernet Sauvignon wine has become so popular that when being referred to can be recognized by simple slang, such as “Cab” or “Cabernet. It might appear simple, straightforward and easily understood; yet, interestingly remains an enigma, which has both baffled and excited oenologists since its discovery. The exact origin and circumstances of this world-altering event are still enigmatic; however, at the end of the 20th century, UC Davis Scientists (John Bowers and Carole Meredith) were able to solve part of the mystery using DNA fingerprinting technology that proved Cabernet Sauvignon to be the offspring of a surprising spontaneous crossing of Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. By the 18th century there were already records of Cabernet Sauvignon being well-established on the west side of the Gironde Estuary (Left Bank) in the Medoc and Graves. Although tremendously popular in California and what seems to have become the identity of Napa Valley winemaking, Cabernet Sauvignon’s birth took place in the Bordeaux region of southwest France by fortuitous unification. Whereas Napa Valley experienced a winemaking renaissance during the 1970’s and 1980s (greatly due to the 1976 Judgement of Paris) quality wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been produced in the Medoc, on the Left Bank of Bordeaux for over 400 years. Cabernet Sauvignon’s first recorded plantings in California can be traced back to the 1850’s when Antoine Delmas, a French nurseryman, brought French vines (including one called ‘Cabrunet’) to the Santa Clara Valley. Early cultivation suffered due to obscurity of the varietal and improper planting in inhospitable soil. It wasn’t until pioneers such as Robert Mondavi, Randy Dunn and Warren Winiarski with their amazing foresight and understanding of terroir, would the grape variety finally find its niche in California winemaking. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in warm climates moderated by a cooling marine influence. It is perfectly attuned to gravel-based soils with good drainage. Whether on flat land or a hillside, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape flourishes in proper climates and terroir, producing incredible yields. The thick grapevine is extremely vigorous allowing it to exploit its natural host. Its distinctive small, black berries (reminiscent of blueberries) adhere firmly to the stalk and are capable of a very long “hang time.” These berries are extremely concentrated, producing intensely flavored fruit. The thick skins of the grape are characterized as having highly astringent flavor, high tannin, acidity and dark color. Coincidentally, the variety has a special affinity for oak, which helps soften the bitterness. Today, the Noble Bordeaux varietal of Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on 340,000 hectares (741,300 acres) of vineyards across the earth’s surface. From Sicily to Sonoma, Chile to Bordeaux, South Africa to Napa. It has found symbiosis in terroir hotspots that mimic that of the Medoc and Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon’s globetrotting has allowed the grape variety to take root all over the world, captivating its inhabitants and influencing winemaking. This serendipitous marriage between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc centuries ago, which offered to the world its progeny, has changed the landscape of winegrowing, winemaking and the face of the entire wine market forever. It has influenced blending, changed civilization and has cultivated a place for itself in today’s world… the very pinnacle.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.
Subregion	Napa Valley

Producer	Royal Prince : The world of creation can be mind-bending, tantalizing and for many, a perception altering experience, whether that individual is the author of such creativity or the one benefitting from it. From street art to luxury watches, the great composers of the 17th and 18th Centuries, to Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci, the first automobile to modern cellphones: all created by intelligent minds using the greatest tools, finest materials and possessing the ambition to succeed. When longtime wine industry insiders, David Green and Maayan Koschitzky developed Royal Prince Wines with the intention of “reverse engineering” the price point of each bottle to ensure that quality is never sacrificed in bringing multidimensional wines to the masses, it was a creative masterpiece. They have the tools, Maayan is a gifted winemaker, the finest fruit provided by iconic California Vineyards (through trusted partnerships) drive, ambition and a blank canvas to work with. Though this model of operation may be considered novel in New World winemaking, the finest wine regions in the world were operating under this motif over 600 centuries ago. Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux have long histories of producing wines from grapes sourced from other properties, and at times even using them to blend into their Grand Vin’s to help better develop them. One of the most important aspects in winemaking that determines quality is land: its terroir, its sense of place, how the vine, soil and climate works in harmony in the growth and success of the berries. The most prestigious and revered winemakers on earth admit this to be the finest attribute one could obtain. Of course, human hands must be involved in order for this process to come to fruition and that is where Royal Prince’s winemaking genius, Maayan Koschitzky comes in. Koschitzky’s blending acumen takes the wines to the next level, resulting in wines that massively over-deliver for their price. “Royal Prince Wines allows me the chance to use my experience and expertise to identify the best fruit quality from a variety of appellations in a given vintage and then blend to create something that we see as ‘shining stars,’ wines that are both delicious and affordable,” said Koschitzky. He is a partner at and director of winemaking for Atelier Melka, Philippe Melka’s eponymous winemaking consulting company. He also produces wine in his native Israel and was a 2019 recipient of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s ‘Top 40 under 40.’ Green’s background includes serving as the founding president at Napa Valley’s Dana Estates, general manager for Joel Gott Wines, and as president of his management consulting firm, which specializes in strategy, financial planning, branding and sales for the luxury wine business. Their connections with growers and winemakers allow them unique access to source fruit with the best expression from prime growing regions, nurturing the wines from farming to bottling. Greene states, “Our model is being lean and nimble so that we produce wines that can sit at the same table as these esteemed siblings, but where we have the flexibility to blend the best of every vintage. Redefining greatness at these price points is our mission.” The energetic duo deliver on fantastic terroir-inspired wines hailing from Napa Valley (Cabernet Sauvignon) Santa Lucia Highlands (Pinot Noir) Sonoma Coast (Chardonnay “Royal Princess”) and Russian River Valley (Rose “Royal Princess” Rose of Pinot Noir). The current vintage takes over where its predecessor (2018) left off and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by wine critics. Highly respected wine reviewer, Jeb Dunnuck praised the 2019 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon as “…rock star stuff and delivers a classic Napa level of richness and depth while staying pure, clean and beautifully balanced.” He also stated on the 2018 Napa Cab, “It tastes as though it costs three times the price.” Royal Prince Wines are created to “charm and delight” without the feeling as if one had splurged. Over-performing wines of such pedigree at these price points are rare elements on the market today.