Newton The Puzzle 2004
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Parker
Robert
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This full-bodied yet elegant wine reinvents itself with each taste. The wine opens with dense aromatics of dried violet and marjoram, then reveals blackberry, blueberry and black cherry notes followed by savory notes of mocha, fresh tobacco and supple leather. These layers of flavor also appear on the palate, along with toasty vanilla bean and caramel. Well integrated tannins in this balanced wine contribute to its long finish. With time in the cellar, this multifaceted wine will continue to develop complexity and flavor.
It is suggested that this wine be decanted to allow its full power to unfold. The elegant, complex flavors of The Puzzle makes it an exceptional companion to beef carpaccio, a tender beef fillet with Bordelaise sauce or even cedar-plank grilled salmon.
"The proprietary Bordeaux blend, the 2004 The Puzzle (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc) is a brilliant 1,000-case cuvee, showing the fabulous mountain terroir of the Newton Vineyard. This wine was still not in bottle when I tasted it, but by the time this report comes out, it will have been bottled unfiltered.
Deep ruby/purple to the rim, with an exuberant display of aromatics consisting of black tea, creme de cassis, charcoal, incense, and again some truffle notes, the wine is full-bodied, with nicely integrated acidity, wood, tannin, and the influence of barriques kept well in the background. This is a big but impressively well-balanced wine that should come into its own in 3-4 years and last for 20-25 years."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
Barrel Sample: 94-96 Points
Professional Ratings
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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Newton was founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton and his Chinese wife Su Hua. Peter Newton was already renowned as a pioneer of winemaking in the Napa Valley, having founded the Sterling Winery near Calistoga in the 1960s. The Newtons transformed one square mile of rolling hillside in Spring Mountain into one of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious estates, whose wines have graced the official dinners of several US presidents.
The Newton estate encompasses 170 acres of prime Napa Valley terroir, distributed over four separate, wholly owned vineyards: Spring Mountain, Yountville, Mount Veeder and Carneros.
Newton is renowned for producing wines that are uniquely characterful expressions of varietals emblematic of the Napa Valley, notably Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Working patiently with nature, we are committed to precision viticulture and winemaking techniques yielding wines that are acclaimed for their balance, harmony and full, abundant flavors.