Winemaker Notes
Blend: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Eloge bursts from the glass with juicy dark cherries, flowers, mint, tobacco, licorice and earthiness. I especially like the immediacy of the fruit here. There is pure plushness and juiciness in the 2009 that is impossible not to love. Black cherries, tobacco, smoke and graphite all wrap around the intense, juicy finish. This is a terrific showing from Todd Anderson and his team. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2029.
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.