Winemaker Notes
Blend: 43% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 28% Merlot.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plenty of currant and plum aromas follow through to a medium body, with fine tannins and an integrated finish. Very pretty indeed. Classy young cab. Bordeaux blend.
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Wine Enthusiast
Sweet cherry, red licorice, violet, cocoa and new oak flavors make this wine drinkable now despite firm tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon's role is relatively muted, with Cab Franc taking a starring role, and Merlot also a strong component of the blend.
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.