Product Overview
Winery's Notes
"Au Sommet is a partnership between Heidi Peterson Barrett, John Schwartz and Jim Barbour and is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend from our seven acre vineyard on top of Atlas Peak in the acclaimed Napa Valley.
The 2023 harvest in Napa Valley will go down as one of the best of the 21st century. Unlike the 2022 growing season which saw an erratic weather pattern with heat spikes during harvest, the 2023 vintage was a winemaker’s dream. Due to our elevation, the vineyards were able to soak in a mild, consistent, long growing season. This allowed for the phenolics and tannins to properly develop producing dark, small and concentrated berries. Higher-than-average rainfall allowed our vines to dig deeper into the volcanic soils providing the desired richness of minerality and earthiness to the fruit. You will definitely notice this is the purity of the wine. Au Sommet Cabernet Sauvignon never tastes like most Napa Valley heavy-hitting piers...and if you know, you know! Au Sommet 2023 will be one of our best!"
Varietal Composition: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Atlas Peak AVA
Winemaker: Heidi Peterson Barrett
98 Points - The Wine Palate
"The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Sommet is made from 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to bring out classic notes of black-currant jelly, boysenberry preserves, and wild blueberries, leading to hints of dark chocolate, licorice, lilacs, and fertile loam. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and taut with muscular black-fruit layers, supported by very firm, grainy tannins and great tension, finishing very long and earthy." -LPB, Feb/2026
96 Points - Vinous
"The 2023 Au Sommet is fabulous. It's bright and aromatic, with lovely undertones of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint and sweet spice. Floral and mineral shadings build into a long finish shaped by filigreed tannins. It's an exquisite, nuanced Cabernet Sauvignon. Superb." -AG, Nov/2025
96 Points - James Suckling
"So charming and elegant, especially for a Napa Valley cabernet, with a nervy, firm structure and great acidity framing fresh red fruits and savory notes, as well as earth and toast nuances. Fine-grained tannins around fresh cherry, cranberry, sour-cherry, black-olive and blackcurrant flavors. Drinkable now and best from 2030." -JG, Aug/2025
95 Points - Wine Advocate
"Au Sommet's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon offers up cherries, cherries and more cherries. Yes, there's some vanilla, too. It may be a bit too simple now, but while its approachability makes it tempting, try to hold off for five or more years. This medium- to full-bodied wine is framed by silky tannins, shows ample concentration and should be delicious down the road. This Heidi Barrett-made wine from high on Atlas Peak is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot." -JC, 10/2/25
