Winemaker Notes
Blend: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Celebrated winemakers Peter Heitz (Turnbull Wine Cellars) and Scott Palazzo (Palazzo Wines) make this limited-production blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc. The fruit hails from vineyards in Oakville (volcanic red clay) and Carneros (shallow clay). Slate, graphite, and tobacco influence the juicy black plum and plumskin tannins. The wonderful acidity opens the floor for food-pairing opportunities across the board. Pedigreed and elegant.
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.