90 Wine Enthusiast

"The '03 thankfully is drier and more balanced than the inaugural '02, which shows a learning curve. It's made in the classic Napa mode, with rich, thick tannins supporting blackberry, olive tapenade and sweet oak flavors. Gracious now, the wine should age well for a decade. -SH" 90 points Wine Enthusiast

Cellar Tracker Favorite! This wine has a median of 92 points in 82 notes. Click here to see all of the reviews!

WINE:
"The 2003 Butterdragon took some time to come in to its own. For several years after release, it continued to gain weight and complexity, becoming a remarkably sophisticated and cultured wine. Looking back, it was an excellent learning lesson that our commitment to single vineyard designate Cabs would mean that we were going to have different wines each and every vintage. A "house style" is not something that we can grow or blend for. Right now, the 2003 Butterdragon Hill, while not a giant, ripe styled Napa Cabernet, may be our best drinking wine for your dinner table." -Winery

VINEYARD:
"Butterdragon Hill comprises eight acres farmed by Jim Barbour and the experts at Barbour Vineyards. Give these guys and gals a piece of Napa Valley hillside and they’ll plant it with an extremely narrow 3×5 spacing and then stingily give it water by the teaspoonful until the grapes seem to cry out for relief. The grapes may not be “happy” but those droopy faces provide sophisticated flavors from lush, succulent wines."

"Butterdragon Hill is located on the western side of the Napa Valley above Highway 29, just a couple of miles north of St. Helena. This vineyard was planted in 2000 with green bench grafts of Cabernet Sauvignon clones 337, 7, and 15 plus a small amount of Merlot. Its first vintage, the 2002 was released in Spring 2005." -Winery

WINERY:
"Match Vineyards is a small, family-owned winery making Cabernet Sauvignon from our own two hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley. Our wines possess a lovely elegance and finesse that places them among the best that the Napa Valley has to offer." -Winery

This was also rated 87 points in the Wine Spectator.