Winemaker Notes
The 2018 is pure bold red bliss. Complex and elegant yet powerful, you'll love this balance of ripe fruit, herbal aromatic intensity, minerality and structural power. Concentrated levels of crème de cassis, chocolate and graphite give way to a full-bodied and seamless wine that over-delivers yet again. The palate is explosive and the finish is long and layered.
It’s drinking incredibly well now, despite its relative youth. So go ahead and enjoy it now or hold and try again in a few years. And then again in 2030, cheers-ing to 10 years since you worked in your underpants and a blazer. That sure calls for a celebration.
Sip with the skirt steak/chimichurri featured recipe, slice up some aged sharp white cheddar and charcuterie or smather a seared ribeye with blue cheese butter. Perfection.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.