Winemaker Notes
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, and 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The deep garnet colored 2013 Ontogeny Red Wine is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. It explodes from the glass with bombastic Chinese five spice and hoisin scents over a core of preserved plums, boysenberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus hints of woodsmoke, iron ore and tobacco leaf. The rich, densely packed, full-bodied palate delivers bags of black fruit preserves with a well-played backbone of freshness and soft texture, finishing long and layered.
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.