Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A juicy and rich red with plums, tile and dark berries. Violets, too. Full-bodied, tight and flavorful with some smoky oak and wet-earth character. Polished and silky. Salty, iron character. Umami.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Proprietary Red DB4 is redolent of kirsch, mulberries, warm plums and black raspberries with suggestions of baking spices and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, soft, open and just about ready for business, the spicy red and black fruit preserves flavors are textured by plush tannins, and it finishes on a peppery note. This was tasted as a barrel sample.
Range: 90-92 -
Vinous
The 2015 DB4 is beautifully in the spot today. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, incense, dried herbs all grace this very pretty and expressive wine. I think this the first time I have tasted a DB4 with age. This is a gorgeous showing for Bryant's entry-level offering. Readers should expect a relatively mid-weight, svelte style.
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.