Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the valley floor vineyard in Oakville, the 2006 St. Eden has shed some of its tannic clout of last year and taken on a generously endowed style, with stunning black fruits, roasted herbs, sweet cassis, graphite, and new oak. Fleshy and even opulent (an anomaly for a 2006), this is an impressively endowed Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 25 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
A magnificent wine for its lush opulence and dramatic structure. Shows concentrated flavors of red and black sour cherry candy, red currants, coffee, dried herbs, anise and sandalwood, wrapped into gorgeously soft, refined tannins. Very fine and complex, and will age well.
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Wine & Spirits
A venture capitalist, Dick Kramlich, planted this north-facing vineyard on site off the Oakville Crossroad, what Paul Roberts describes as a piece of the Vaca Range that sloughed off, forming a knoll (a sector of the Napa Valley that was marked on early maps as Eden). The most immediately luxurious of Bond's 2006 wines, it's not excessively extracted. The first impression is bright, high-acid fruit layered over savory, chocolatey tannins. With air, scents of violets, lavender, rosemary and other savory herbs develop in the finish. And though there is Napa Valley money written all over this wine, it's not pushed too far. What lasts, in the end, is a sense of balance.
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James Suckling
Nice aromas of flowers, mushrooms, and berries. Full bodied, with a sleek and balanced palate and a medium finish. Pull the cork.
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Wine Spectator
Tight, structured and full-bodied, with firm dried currant, mineral, sage and cedary oak, this slowly unfolds to reveal great depth and complexity, but needs time in the cellar or a long decant.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.