Winemaker Notes
Our proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon showcases aromas of ripe sweet blue and blackberry fruits interwoven with floral notes of lavender and sage. Full-bodied opulent texture but yet it delivers balance and ripe tannins that have finesse, complexity and purity all the way to the finish. Blend: 65% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Superior, given its fabulous complexity, is the 2014 Proprietary Red, a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The bad news is there are only 175 cases of this beautiful wine that offers up notes of roasted coffee bean, white chocolate, mocha, pen ink, blackberry and cassis. When it hits the palate, the wine has great intensity without a sense of heaviness, no doubt because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Spicy as well, with loads of floral notes, this superb, full-bodied and opulent proprietary blend should drink beautifully for two decades.
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Vinous
The 2014 Proprietary Red has aged well, all things considered. Plum, black cherry, exotic spice and jammy dark fruit are dialed up. The 2014 was made in the heyday of rich, extracted wines, the style favored by founding owners Ed and Deb Fitts. It is a wine that very much belongs to that era, done in a very different style from that favored by current owners Christine O'Sullivan and Jim Bean.
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.