Winemaker Notes
The NV12 is a happy blend of the warm, generous 2012 vintage and the cool, aromatic, and structured wines of 2011. The beautiful perfume of Cain's mountains floats ethereally over a round, plump, inviting wine. It is complex, a blend of the Cabernet family, dominated by Merlot (almost half).
However, more than varieties or even vintages, think place: the NV12 is about half valley floor and half Spring Mountain fruit. The perfume and structure of the wines of the mountains combine with the supple juiciness of their wines from the valley floor to create a delicious, ethereal blend.
Cain's Cain Cuvee NV 12 sits lightly on the palate, it is refined and refreshing, and it goes perfectly with a wide array of lighter dishes, from salad to pasta to grilled fish.
Blend: 50% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec
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.