Winemaker Notes
The 2006 Cemetery again comes from one of our favorite ’plots’ in St. Helena. The wine exudes aromas of coffee, violets, earth and minerals. With a dark garnet color and a brooding but balanced richness. Silky tannins lead to focused flavors of raspberry cordial, cassis and smoky spice. It’s to die for!
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated offering, the 2006 Cemetery (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all from David Abreu’s vineyards) displays a stunning bouquet of graphite, smoked herbs, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, chocolate, and toasty oak. The outstanding aromatics are followed by a lavishly rich, extravagantly fruit-driven wine with superb body, richness, and texture as well as a compelling, hedonistic appeal. It should drink well for a decade or more.
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.