Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A new entry in 2010 was the limited production Rapszodia, an equal part blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Is this the Cheval Blanc of Yountville? Aged in a combination of new French and Hungarian oak, it tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, but there are only 135 cases produced. An awesome effort, it offers copious notes of peppery, spicy black currants and cherries intermixed with licorice, bay leaf and oak. This full-bodied, provocative, awesome wine will need some time to settle down, but it possesses incredible length and richness. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following two to three decades. Rating 98+.
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.