Winemaker Notes
The 2012 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée has all the elements of an exceptional wine: depth of fruit, bright acidity, chalky but not astringent tannins, moderate alcohol, and a long balanced finish. Enjoy this wine now or let it age over 10 years or more.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
David Jeffrey’s estate, in the hills east of the Russian River Valley, tends to give a cool, taut expression of the Bordelaise grapes, thanks to maritime influence and the vineyard’s sandstone and shale-based soils. This merlot-based blend includes cabernet sauvignon, franc, petit verdot and malbec; in 2012, the wine’s flavors are vigorous and cohesive, with hints of black plum and mint, though the overall impression is primarily mineral, the refreshing glints of fruit completely tied to the structure. It evolves slowly over several days of air, barely loosening, suggesting that it will reward a long stay in the cellar.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Proprietary Red CVC is a blend of 36% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and the rest equal parts Petit Verdot and Malbec. More chocolate and mocha appear in this wine, which has a similar color to its predecessors. With a nice, fleshy, opulent mouthfeel, impressive purity, texture and length, the wine seems showy and expressive already and promises to age nicely for 10-15 more years.
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.
A Sonoma sub-appellation whose boundaries cover the northeastern corner of the Russian River Valley AVA, the Chalk Hill growing area is named after its unique chalky and white, volcanic ash soils. This terrain has proven successful with white varieties, namely Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc.