Von Strasser Reserve Red Wine 2012
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Blend: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Malbec
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Rudy von Strasser’s Reserve places petit verdot on equal footing with cabernet sauvignon—both 40 percent of the blend (the balance is malbec). Those varieties, selected from von Strasser’s top-performing blocks, capture the savory scent of the Diamond Mountain woodlands, the wine ranging from dark, umami flavors of fat black mushrooms to resinous herb and tart, plummy fruit. The tannins form an intricate web of flavor, both firm and delicate, suspending the wine’s generosity at a refreshing elevation. A great vintage to cellar or to decant for grilled butterflied leg of lamb.
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Equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot figure into this wine, along with 20% Malbec, all from the producer's estate. A mix of coconut and cherry-berry cobbler entice aromatically, seasoned in dried herb and black peppercorn. Dry, dusty tannins make their presence felt, the wine all in all tart, generous and lively, finishing in a slow drag of tobacco.
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2016-
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Situated on Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley, the Von Strasser estate maintains six separate vineyards. When Rudy and Rita Von Strasser purchased the old Roddis Winery in 1990, the vineyards were planted in two stages. The oldest block, 2 acres in size, was planted in 1970 to budwood from Martha’s Vineyard. The second block, 4 acres in size, was planted in 1983, also with budwood from Martha’s Vineyard. In 1991, the von Strasser’s embarked upon a vineyard modernization, changing the entire vineyard to a high density, vertical trellis system. An acre of Petit Verdot was planted that year with an eye towards its future use in a unique Reserve bottling. In 1998, a new piece of hillside land was cleared and planted to vineyard. Today, the property consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (12 acres), Petit Verdot (2 acres), and Merlot (1 acre).
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.
Diamond Mountain is the northernmost mountain appellation in the Mayacamas Range, on the northwest side of the valley floor, above the town of Calistoga. Defined mainly by elevation, vineyards are planted at 400 to 2,200 feet.
Diamond Mountain vineyards receive plenty of sunshine at these elevations and are typically above the coastal fog line. But given its western proximity, the area still easily cools down from early morning and late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes. The AVA (American Viticultural Area) covers 5,000 acres but just over 500 acres are under vine.
Diamond Mountain soils, mainly weathered, red sedimentary rock and decomposed, volcanic ash, are infertile, quick-draining and produce small, thick-skinned grapes, bursting with chewy tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Zinfandel have great success here.
Like other sub-appellations in Napa Valley, the Diamond Mountain area had no shortage of pioneer winemakers. Rudy von Strasser led the effort for Diamond Mountain to acquire AVA status in 1999.