Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Ontogeny Red Wine is a blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with lesser portions of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Deep garnet in color with a touch brick, it wafts from the glass with a fragrant perfume of Morello cherries, spice cake and preserved plums, plus underlying suggestions of cigar box, tree bark and pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers maturing black and red fruit preserves layers with loads of spicy sparks and a chewy texture, finishing long with a compelling lift.
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Wine Spectator
Features tremendous density, range and depth of flavor, built around cedar- and tobacco-laced blackberry and currant notes. Tightens on the finish and gains a dusty herb and loamy earth edge, which gives the tannins a drying edge, showing traction and definition. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink now through 2028.
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.