Chimney Rock Elevage Red 2018
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
This wine is super expressive with aromas of blackberry, cocoa powder with hints of mint, clove and espresso.
Ripe and intense with flavors blackberry, mocha and a hint of vanilla. In terms of mouthfeel, it is medium-bodied with super silky tannins, a round and viscous mid-palate ends with a nice long finish with some bright acidity in the end.
Blend: 65% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Leading the way with 65% Merlot, this wine blends in 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot from the appellation. It is then aged 18 months in all new French barrels. Showing notes of iron, crushed rock and red fruit, it has a pillowy tannin structure and well-integrated oak, with a final accent of clove.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A more Merlot-dominated cuvee, the 2018 Red Blend Elevage checks in 65% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot. Its dense purple color is followed by loads of blackberry and currant-like fruits as well as notes of lavender, sweet tobacco, and chocolate. This rich, full-bodied wine has soft, rounded tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. I'd be happy to drink a bottle any time over the coming decade.
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Situated on the famed Silverado Trail in Napa Valley's renowned Stags Leap District, Chimney Rock is recognized as one of the world's premier fine wine producers. Chimney Rock was established in 1984 with the goal of creating wines that emulate the quintessence of Stags Leap District and epitomize dualities of power and grace and finesse and muscle. The estate's location in the Stags Leap District, Napa Valley's smallest and most acclaimed sub-appellation, allows winemaker, Elizabeth Vianna to capture this unique terroir and create wines that rival the most important wines of the world. Chimney Rock is a Terlato Family winery and embodies the family's dedication to producing wines of exceptional quality.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Legend has it that quick and nimble stags would escape the indigenous hunters of southern Napa Valley through the landmark palisades that sit just northeast of the current city of Napa. As a result, the area was given the name, Stags Leap. While its grape-growing history dates back to the mid-1800s, winemaking didn’t really take off until the mid-1970s after a small but pivotal blind tasting called the Judgement of Paris.
When a 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won first place against its high-profile Bordeaux contenders, like Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion, international attention to the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley escalated rapidly.
The vineyards in this one-of-a-kind wine growing region receive hot afternoon air reflecting off of its eastern palisade formation. In combination with the cool evening breezes from the San Pablo Bay just south, this becomes an optimal environment for grape growing. While many varieties could thrive here, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate with virtually no others, save for a spot or two of Syrah.
Stags Leap soils—eroded volcanic and old river sediments—encourage well established root systems and result in complex, terroir-driven wines. Stags Leap District reds have a distinct sour cherry and black berry character with baking spice and dried earth aromas, and supple tannins.