Winemaker Notes
At first taste, a full-bodied wine with smooth tannins and layer upon layer of flavor. Dark fruit for sure, also sour cherry and vanilla. Is that bramble, and black currant leaf? Young leather, rootbeer, and even Dr. Pepper. The flavors dance in the mouth, long after the wine is gone. A blend sure to please many palates and pair with an endless variety of cuisines. Enjoy this wine now or over the next 10-15 years.
Blend: 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A luscious and ripe style with dried-berry and shaved-chocolate character throughout. Full-bodied, soft-textured and flavorful wine, especially on the finish. Bordeaux blend.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot, the deep purple-black colored 2014 Paramount Proprietary Red offers a tar, earth, crushed plums and blackberry preserves-scented nose with a hint of rare beef. Restrained and earthy on the chewy, medium-bodied palate, it finishes with decent length.
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.