Winemaker Notes
Blend: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Malbec
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Powerful, saturated, layered and generous. This is a big, broad, full-bodied Bordeaux-style blend that has been polished to a T, showing dark chocolate, black cherries, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Great concentration and length in the finish. Drink now or hold.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Lush, poised, and richly flavored, this blend of Cabernet and Merlot includes a dollop of Malbec, bringing together ripe berries, bramble, and spiced cocoa. Powdery fine, palate coating tannins offer enjoyment now and the ability to age several more 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.