Winemaker Notes
Sometimes adversity has a way of turning a difficult situation into something extremely positive. The story of COHO Headwaters certainly is an example of that "lemons into lemonade" thing you always hear about. For the first three vintages COHO made a delicious 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine entirely from fruit grown in the Coombsville section of Napa Valley, just east of downtown Napa.
Starting with the 2006 vintage, the Headwaters blend transitioned to a Coombsville area Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wine with about 30-35% Merlot, and seasoned with Petit Verdot. The fruit sources remain predominately from Coombsville, with the likeliness that future vintages will incorporate some fruit from select Napa Valley appellations and introduce other Bordeaux varietals into the blend.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Firm, rich and vibrant, this is intense, focused, concentrated and persistent, with a taut band of dried currant, mineral, plum and spice, gaining depth and complexity while maintaining a presence of balance and finesse. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2018.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Impressively flashy, an opulent wine that immediately offers a blast of blackberries, cherries, currants, red licorice and cedar. But it’s quite astringent in tannins. Age this Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend for 5–7 years
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.