Winemaker Notes
Lady of the Dead is a homage to the Frias heritage and family. This Cabernet-heavy blend is a serious step up from the debut release in intensity and quality. We start with a bouquet of red fruits, cinnamon and spice. The wine then coats the palate with notes of lush burgundy plums and blackberries. Concluding with balancing sweet tannins, this Lady is ready to be taken seriously.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Lady Of The Dead is an interesting multiple appellation blend that’s 73% from Napa Valley and 27% From Paso Robles. The blend is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah, and the rest a mix of Petite Sirah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Graciano. Loads of jammy blackberry and cassis fruits as well as incense, flowers, and peppery herbs emerge from this full-bodied, pure, straight-up delicious red. Drink it any time over the coming 7-8 years, possibly a decade.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
My perennial favorite label for Day of the Dead/Halloween, the 2018 Red Blend Lady of the Dead is composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah, 5% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignan, 3% Mourvedre and 1% Graciano. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sails out of the glass with notions of warm cassis, wild blueberries and red roses plus hints of chocolate mint and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a great intensity of pure, bright black fruits with a refreshing backbone and soft tannins, finishing long and perfumed.
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.