Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Just about pure perfection in a class, the 2015 La Magdalena is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with 28% Cabernet Franc, all of which spent 22 months in a mix of new and used French oak. Thrilling notes of bloody blueberries, forest floor, crushed violets, and hints of iron all flow to an inky colored, powerful, full-bodied, yet truly seamless Cabernet Sauvignon that does everything right. Complex, layered, powerful, and elegant, readers should beg, borrow, or steal to get a hold of this beauty.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 La Magdalena comes from the Oakville Ranch vineyard. It is composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc aged 22 months in oak and another year in bottle. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sings of rose hip tea, menthol, wild sage and charred soil with a core of red and black currants, black cherries and cassis plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and solidly constructed, it has a great core of tightly wound, muscular fruit with loads of mineral accents and a long, elegantly layered finish.
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Vinous
The 2015 La Magdalena is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, all from Oakville Ranch. Some of the lots were co-fermented in this vintage. Inky dark fruit, espresso, menthol, licorice and dried herbs lend tons of nuance to this boisterous, packed 2015. This has aged nicely.
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James Suckling
Extremely perfumed with currants, blackberries and oyster shell. Full-bodied and very chewy with lots of intensity and richness. A little warm at the finish. A big wine that needs two or three years to soften. Try in 2020.
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Wine Spectator
A very solid, muscular style, with a dense core of plum, fig and currant paste flavors that work well together, while savory details and anise and roasted apple wood notes fill in through the finish. Superb length and drive, with an iron and loam echo. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2020 through 2030.
Favia Erickson Winegrowers is a collaboration between Annie Favia and Andy Erickson. Their philosophy is simple: create soulful wines that express the true nature of the vineyards from which they come. Annie and Andy focus on finding unique vineyard sites with soils, climate and aspects ideal for growing exquisite wine grapes, and develop strong relationships with their winegrowers to perfect viticultural practices. In the winery, they carefully coax the grapes into wine. Gentle handling, minimal intervention, and strict monitoring of the wine allow our grapes to speak for themselves.
Ultimately, Favia Erickson Winegrowers unites science, art and nature to produce unparalleled wines, each with its own distinct character.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.