Winemaker Notes
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The three vintages of OV/SL are essentially culled-out lots that are co-fermented together from the Stags Leap as well as the Oakville property. It’s an intriguing idea, and Futo has certainly pulled it off brilliantly. Far more consumer friendly is the 2014 Futo OV/SL, which is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The lusciousness of this vintage is showcased by this seamless, beautifully pure and superbly crafted wine, which has an inky purple color and a big, sweet kiss of crème de cassis, blackberry, spring flowers and subtle background oak. The wine is opulent, full-bodied and majestic. Drink it now and over the next 25-30 years.
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Vinous
The 2014 OV SL is plump, juicy and wonderfully inviting. Naturally, it lacks the concentration and stature of the top wines, but it has aged well and remains quite fresh. Succulent red cherry fruit, cinnamon, rose petal, cedar and new leather build into the supple finish. This mid-weight red is pure charm.
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.