Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep inky purple-black in color, the 2015 Black Bart Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard boasts a wonderfully expressive nose of licorice, dark chocolate, bacon fat, charcoal and red roses over a core of plum preserves and blackberry tart, plus a waft of Chinese five spice. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and full-on seductive, it has a lovely frame of velvety tannins and plenty of freshness to lift the long, decadently spicy finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Hugely concentrated and ripely fleshy, this big broad-shouldered wine features rustic and robust flavors of leather, black pepper and clove wrapped in black fig and berry. The tannins are thick but supportive, youthful in their integration.
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.