B Side Napa Valley Red Blend 2014
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wine Enthusiast
Perfumed in dried herb and cigar, this is a supple, round, high-toned wine, made from largely Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with smaller additions of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Dolcetto. Red cherry dominates, almost like a kirsch, while the restrained oak makes it easy to enjoy now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Showing plenty of ripe fruit, the brambly 2014 B Side Red Wine Blend offers attractive berry flavors and a smooth aftertaste. The wine's richness pairs it well with grilled beef. (Tasted: April 14, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
The inaugural release of B Side Cabernet Sauvignon features grapes from vineyards on the flip-side of Napa Valley. These vineyards are nestled in rural areas or rolling hills, just a few miles from of the high-priced glamour wineries featured along Highway 29.
The eastern side of Napa Valley includes areas such as Pope Valley, Chiles Valley, Wooden Valley, Stags Leap District and lower Calistoga. Vines in these areas, are grown in thin, volcanic soils, which yield smaller, more concentrated fruit, producing Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignons with classic berry and cassis flavors.
Wooden Valley is a lesser-known area of Napa Valley, but has recently caught the attention of critics. Located east of the town of Napa, this small, round little valley is only about 2 miles wide, but has a history of grape growing since the early 20th century. While Calistoga is know for its pampering spas, before reaching this luxurious little town, there is a stretch of rural, rustic land. A large portion of our grapes, come from this lower area of Calistoga. These vineyards have been farmed by the same family for 60 years.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.