Smokescreen Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
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After years of making high end single vineyard wines from the Napa Valley, the recession of 2008 came and with it all the uncertainty of the banks and stock market. It was after returning from a trip to the east coast where winemaker Paul Johnson was repeatedly told by retailers that he could not sell anything over $30, he realized that people were no longer buying high end Napa wines.
After deciding they needed to do something different, the Smokescreen brand was started to offer great value wines. Not wanting to compromise on quality, they set out to redefine the quality of wine people associate with a daily drinking wine and offer them at a price that most can afford.
Since starting Smokescreen, they have worked diligently to make wines that over-deliver for the price. The wines will appeal to both people new to wine and the more sophisticated wine drinker. The grapes are sourced from acclaimed vineyards in prominent appellations such as Napa Valley, Russian River, Alexander Valley and Paso Robles.
Smokescreen wines are handcrafted using techniques that are usually reserved for more expensive wines such as barrel fermenting and whole cluster fermentation and will amaze the most discriminating palate. At Smokescreen, they want you to genuinely enjoy the wines you are drinking without compromising quality or value, whether you are having a pizza on a Tuesday night or entertaining friends on the weekend.
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.