Winemaker Notes
By popular demand, this 2019 Audere Red Blend best-seller is topping the charts with a total production of 349 cases. 23 months barrel aged in 90% New French and Hungarian Oak, in typical bold fashion, it comes out guns blazing with lots of extract, some serious tannin, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This blend hails from ultra premium, volcanic Napa areas such as the Pritchard Hill area, Howell Mountain, Atlas Peak, and Hertelendy's very own Rockwell Ridge estate vineyard (35 feet below Howell Mountain). It is an exuberant, rich wine with red cherries, oodles of black fruits, and coffee notes. Very reminiscent of the inaugural 2013 Audere, this is sure to please even the biggest Sideways-loving, Merlot-hater...and yes, the rumors are true….this label glows-in-the dark! Turn off the lights and see for yourself.
Blend: 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of iron, spicy red and blue fruits, leather, and chocolaty notes emerge from the 2019 Red Blend Audere, another terrific wine in the lineup. Full-bodied, mouth-filling, and textured, it has notable tannins and a great finish. It's a great value and well worth seeking out.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Proprietary Red Audère is composed of 43% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with flamboyant black cherries, minted blackberries and blackcurrant pastille notes, plus hints of potpourri and spice box. Full-bodied, rich, soft and juicy in the mouth, it has bags of spicy black fruit and a perfumed finish.
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.