Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another wine flirting with perfection is the 2010 Vecina, the nearby neighbor of Harlan Estate on the western hills overlooking the Oakville Corridor, and further south, Yountville. A Graves-like effort, it displays notes of burning embers, scorched earth, creme de cassis, and charcoal. Primordial, dense, rich, full-bodied, masculine and backward, this is another example of a wine built for half a century of cellaring. Forget it for 7-10 years and watch the pleasure unfold thereafter.
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James Suckling
Loads of currants and plums with hints of flowers. Ripe fruit nose. Full body with a stony, mineral, salt and berry character. Chewy tannins. Toned and muscular. Needs a few years to soften: better in 2017.
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Wine Spectator
Big and ripe, yet graceful and supple-textured, with generous plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit that's elegant and deceptively complex. Firms nicely on the finish, where the tannins take hold. Best from 2014 through 2025.
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.