Winemaker Notes
Blend: 33% Cabernet Franc, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Roughly equal parts Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with just a dollop of Petit Verdot, the 2017 Paramount Red Wine features notes of cherry and mint on the nose, with a touch of tobacco as well. It's medium to full-bodied yet tighter and more structured and tannic than Gamble's Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, finishing long and dusty. Give it a couple of years in the bottle and drink it over the next decade or so.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Blending near-equal parts Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a handful of Petit Verdot, this red is softly layered, rich and nicely balanced. Fragrant aromas of freshly picked blackberries echo on the palate alongside black currant, mocha and a finishing touch of toasted oak.
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Wine Spectator
Alluring, with a creamy mouthfeel and enticing plum and raspberry compote flavors. A subtle kiss of vanilla runs underneath, while an echo of sweet bay leaf filters in. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2027.
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James Suckling
A medium-to full-bodied red with chocolate, berry and some hazelnut. Fine tannins and a savory finish. Some white pepper. A little short at the finish. But juicy and delicious.
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.