Winemaker Notes
Dark red with a purple hue. Luscious blackberry, cocoa, cassis and hints of vanilla with a bit of clove and coffee. Velvet, rich and mouth-filling with the burst of red fruit in the front palate and a long sensual finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Absolutely delicious, offering a flood of ripe, sweet blackberry, currant, chocolate, anise and spice flavors. Impressive for its savory power, this blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot will easily ride out the next 8-10 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The estates 2008 Elevage is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot. It shows good up-front fruit, but I don't find the sheer personality of the estate's finest Cabernet Sauvignons here. Sweet dark berries, licorice, mint and flowers are nicely layered into the generous yet delicate finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018.
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Wine Spectator
Still young and tightly wound, but offers appealing aromas of blackberry and violet, with deep flavors of cherry, tar and cigar box that are wrapped in ripe but stout tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2019. 975 cases made.
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.