Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A tight and deep wine with a beautiful center palate of currants, berries, lemon rind and silky tannins. Rich and opulent, yet fresh. Lightly chewy with a caressing texture. 78% cabernet sauvignon and 11% merlot with malbec, petit verdot and cabernet franc.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc is thick and leathery in style. It has full-bodied richness in flavors of dark chocolate and blackberry that work well alongside firm tannins and integrated oak. Cellar Selection.
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.