Winemaker Notes
Blend: 44% Tempranillo, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 12% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Petit Verdot, 42% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple 2015 The Doctor Proprietary Red has a cassis, warm plums and sandalwood nose with hints of smoked meat, baking spices and tilled earth, plus a touch of underbrush. Showing good intensity and balance, with firm tannins on the medium to full-bodied palate, it finishes long and earthy.
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James Suckling
Very aromatic and bright with blackberry, blueberry and spice. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A blend of 25% cabernet sauvignon, 26% petit verdot, 5% cabernet franc, 2% malbec and 42% tempranillo. Pretty finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a hugely concentrated commingling of 44% Tempranillo, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 12% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc from the famous site. Together, the grapes offer a taste of dust, crushed rock, mocha and oak, the tannins chalky and firmly structured around full-bodied, robustly ripe black fruit.
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.