Winemaker Notes
What an explosion of flavor and aromatics! This inky blend tempts with blackberry jam, candied cranberries, roasted hazelnuts, crème de cassis and an array of ripe purple fruits. These sumptuous aromas are lifted with notes of fresh wildflowers, apricot skin, toasted cinnamon, black olives, marzipan and suede. The unctuous palate of black and purple fruit framed by violets, delivers with amazing length and structure; finishing with fine grained tannins. One glass is never enough!
Blend: 42% Petite Sirah, 30% Tempranillo, 25% Graciano and 3% Carignan.
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.