Winemaker Notes
In a really nice growing year like 2013 when Doug Hill had vineyards to farm from Calistoga all the way down to American Canyon and up to Atlas Peak, there were almost too many lots to choose from. Merlots down at Red Door (Dunlap) and Beau Terroir in Carneros are charming and rich and add structure and plushy fruit
to the blend. Syrah is a bit trickier to add to a Bordeaux type blend, but they had some very exotic small lots that will be interesting to watch as they integrate. Malbec and Petit Verdot from Knubis and Apallas, though small vineyards, have also become a big part of the palate structure for the Origin. This year, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from the Windy Flats vineyard out in Wooden Valley, turned out to be important pieces in the blend, with Cabernet Sauvignon playing a smaller role.
Blend: 51% Merlot, 23% Zinfandel, 7% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Sirah, 4% Malbec, 3% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A major sleeper of the vintage, the 2013 Proprietary Red Origin is a blend of 51% Merlot, 23% Zinfandel, and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Malbec and Syrah. This is a very good, chunky, fleshy, succulent and hedonistic wine. The color is a deep ruby/purple, the wine fleshy, pure, and again a big winner in these blending games.
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.