Winemaker Notes
We lead with Malbec in the blend to develop a softness in the tannins, making this a smooth and seamless wine. These mouthwatering tannins surround the palate, framing complex elements of black cherry, blueberry, and boysenberry with subtle notes of milk chocolate. In crafting this wine, our goal is to achieve perfect balance, with the layered fruit notes concentrated in the mid-palate, enveloped by well-integrated elements of baking spice and oak on the lengthy, elegant finish
Blend: 61% Malbec, 15% Petite Sirah, 14% Zinfandel, 9% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Generous and polished, offering a sophisticated mix of huckleberry, blackberry and blueberry preserves, along with mocha, toast, Saigon cinnamon and palo santo notes. Shows supple, velvety tannins through the long, expressive finish. Malbec, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034. 7,000 cases made.
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.