Winemaker Notes
The Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2021, a blend of Bordeaux varieties, showcases grapes from various sub-AVAs, yielding a wine with old-world charm, complexity, and excellent aging potential. It features a rich, structured palate with flavors of cherry, truffle, anise, and tobacco, and an aromatic profile of plum, and cocoa.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This massive wine is as intense in black fruits and dark chocolate as it is in tannins and body. Built for mid- to long-term aging, it boasts heady aromas of dried blueberries, dried cherries, violets and oak char followed by equally rich and concentrated flavors. The tannins are dense but fine-grained, ready to preserve the wine as it develops more complexity with time.
Cellar Selection -
James Suckling
A juicy red with graphite, chocolate and blackcurrants on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, layered and flavorful. Juicy tannins and lovely flavors. Tastes more like merlot. Lots of flavor but fresh and tensioned.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and polished in style, with an alluring gush of cassis, plum preserves and melted licorice. There's a dusting of singed alder and cedar on the finish for contrast, with a subtle iron twinge as well. Approachable for its fruit, but there's no rush. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 26% Petit Verdot, 12% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine boasts knockout aromas of caramelized black cherries, a dusting of dried spices and a base layer of cassis. Full-bodied without being heavy or overdone, it's ripe and velvety in feel, with a lingering, ever-so-slightly astringent finish. Already approachable, it should be better in a year or two and drink well for another decade.
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.