Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Bordeaux varieties sourced throughout the hillsides and valley floors of several of Napa Valley's prestigious AVAS create a distinct blend (led by 70% Cabernet Sauvignon) with a crushed-velvet texture and round, plush tannins. A swirl of chocolate licorice, black raspberry, plum liqueur, and spiced cedar is framed by a surge of power and finesse alongside a searing thread of graphite.
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James Suckling
This wine has a character of ripe dark and blue berries, spices, flowers and tobacco leaves. A touch of mintiness too. Medium-to full- bodied. Juicy and succulent with fine-grained tannins and a bright acidity. Long and dry finish with a graphite-like minerality. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 7% malbec and 5% petit verdot. Drink after 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Artistry Red Wine spent 18 months in 45% new French oak. Dark loam and cassis notes mingle easily on the nose, picking up bits of dried spices, cola and cedar along the way. It's medium to full-bodied, reasonably concentrated and rich, with a nice, velvety texture and a lingering, harmonious finish. It's a decent value among Napa reds.
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.