Winemaker Notes
Deep maroon-purple, saturated color. Enticing, chocolatey nose with sweet, cedary oak and dark fruits. Good aromatic balance of fruit, oak and cocoa elements. Meaty, savory elements join these on the palate. Full-bodied, almost chunky, with most of the flavor resting at the front and middle of the tongue. Tannins present, fine grained, tongue-coating, but not short or sharp on the back-palate.
Made for food, pair with meats, grilled, roasted or braised, with a touch of something herbal, like grilled lamb chops with arugula pesto, steak with chimichurri, maybe even chicken molé to pick up some of the cocoa notes.
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.