Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even better, the 2010 Dancing Hares is deeper and fuller with more structure as well as a lot of the sensuality exhibited by the 2009. Composed of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, it boasts a dense purple color and notes of wet rocks, blueberries, black raspberries, mulberries, espresso and subtle background oak. The delicious aromatics are followed by a deep, supple, round, opulent wine with some tannin underlying the extravagant fruit. A beauty of purity and symmetry, it is capable of lasting two decades or more
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Wine Spectator
Packs a lot into a big yet graceful frame, with firm, dense blackberry, tar, licorice, crushed rock and floral scents that linger on the finish, offering subtle flavor nuances. Drink now through 2024. 418 cases made.
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.