Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée is an expression of the Chalk Hill appellation where great sunlight and a cool climate produces intense fruit in a wine with balancing acidity, round tannins and moderate alcohol levels. The blend expresses the power of Cabernet Sauvignon, elegance of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and a bit of showiness from Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Blend: 41% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 9% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Combines deep structure with a polished texture, offering lively red currant, savory dill and loamy mineral tones that build tension toward medium-grained tannins.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Calluna Vineyards Cuvee offers lots of chalky minerality and assorted dark fruits as well as medium to full body, a pure, balanced, elegant texture, bright acidity, and present yet ripe tannins. It's beautifully done and just a balanced, young, unevolved beauty that's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and have 20 years or more of prime drinking. It's certainly the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted.
Rating: 91+
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.