Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mainly sourced from To Kalon vineyard and blended of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 16% Petit Verdot, the 2006 Proprietary Red has a deep garnet-brick color and slips sensuously out of the glass with perfumed incense and potpourri scents over notions of menthol, figs and dried mulberries with touches of fruitcake and cigar box. The palate is big, concentrated, full-bodied, firm and chewy, finishing long and spicy.
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.