Winemaker Notes
Dense, glass-coating purple color with violet at the rim. Leather, fragrant fruit, tea and spice in the initial aromatic profile. With air, some of the more earthy elements recede, and brown sugar adds a sweet note to the complex mix. Lovely, soft entry, broad and even palate impression, with bittersweet and dried blueberry fruit. Moderately dense and structured. Gentle, fine-grained tannins. Bittersweet, baking-chocolate finish. Pair with simple grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom and beef stew, or crispy duck pancakes.
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.