Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Vivid, floral aromas with orange peel, raspberries and hints of cedar. Full-bodied, deep and long. Fresh center palate. Tight and dusty. Reserved. Give it time to show all it has to offer. Better after 2022.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Vecina vineyard is located in the western foothills of Oakville, just to the southeast of the winery (up on Oakville Grade). Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Vecina needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of black currants, blackberries and blueberry compote with hints of dusty soil, cinnamon stick and fallen leaves. Slightly more structured than the other Bond 2017s, it has a rock-solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black and blue fruit flavors, finishing long and earthy. It will likely need a little longer to come around than its siblings, but it should also be longer lived.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
A richer, more structured wine, the 2017 Vecina nevertheless still shows the more elegant style of all these 2017s. Lots of cassis, dark chocolate, bouquet garni, and gravelly earth notes define the bouquet, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with building, chalky tannins, terrific balance, and outstanding length. It needs 3-4 years of bottle age but will have two decades of longevity.
-
Wine Spectator
Ripe and sappy in its intensity, but still driven as the dark plum, cassis and açaí berry fruit pumps through, flanked by apple wood and laced with a graphite note. Everything comes to a nice focal point on the finish, which extends with licorice root and sweet tobacco accents. Well-embedded acidity supports it all, lending this subtle tension and energy to offset its heft. A Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. Best from 2022 through 2038. 640 cases made.
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.