Winemaker Notes
Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
My original score for the 2001 Cariad was 98 points, and there are 250 cases of this 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot blend. It boasts a dense purple color as well as a wonderful multidimensional personality with a huge perfume of charcoal, black truffles, chocolate, blackberries, blueberries and subtle oak. Full-bodied with a voluptuous texture in addition to a structured, intense style, it appears to be still holding much of its character in reserve. There is fabulous upside potential, but the 2001 is a firmer, more concentrated, potentially longer lived wine than the first two vintages. Cellar it for another 5-6 years and drink it over the following 20-25 years.
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Wine Spectator
Graceful and harmonious, this rich, ripe, polished youngster pushes ripeness to the max, exhibiting layers of red currant, black cherry and spicy floral notes. It also shows some heat and finishes with firm, ripe tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
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.