Winemaker Notes
The 2015 Three Graces includes a blend of the best barrels of the Hirondelle Estate Vineyard Cabernet Franc in addition to portions of 5 blocks of this vineyard's Cabernet Sauvignons. The Petit Verdot comes from one row planted on the fenceline of Hirondelle Vineyard. The wine has a complex nose of graphite, tobacco, vanilla and blackberry. In the mouth, this wine is extremely smooth and silky with layers of fruit and spice.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The three graces in question here are 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine offers aromas of bay leaf, peppercorn and pencil shavings that carry through to the structured, savory palate. Length and complexity rule above all, adding to the rich core of spicy blackberry and currant. This will mature well; best 2025–2030.
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.
