Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
From young vines in this southwest Napa appellation, a dramatic wine, dense and opulent. It's dark and brooding to look at, a purple, glyceriney wine that could easily lose balance, but doesn't. Underlying flavors of plum, blackberry, licorice and spices are balanced with superb tannins and acids and just-right oak. The finish is incredibly long and satisfying. Only the second commercial release.
-
Wine Spectator
Big, ripe and intense, with rich, complex flavors that run deep and long. Shows off ripe currant, wild berry, sage and mineral and a wonderful beefy side while holding on to its tasty fruit. Ample tannins for cellaring.
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.