Winemaker Notes
This complex wine is both richly concentrated and supremely elegant. The delicate scents of dried flowers, juniper and rosemary mingle with dark fruit aromas and a hint of earthy complexity. The palate explodes with cassis, black cherry and ripe blackberry flavors complemented by subtle layers of smoky tobacco, mocha and spice. Well-integrated, velvety tanninssupport the smooth and supple palate with mocha lingering on the finish making this wine a pleasure to drink now, yet it will also benefit from medium to long-term cellaring.
We suggest decanting this wine to allow its full power to unfold. The elegant, complex flavors of The Puzzle make it an exceptional accompaniment to a tender beef fillet or lamb roast.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It is a beautifully textured, pure wine,... has a deep ruby/purple color and notes of subtle smoke intermixed with underbrush, black currant, cherry, licorice, and lavender. It is medium to full-bodied, has good acidity, and prominent tannins. 92-94 Points.
Newton was founded in 1977 by English businessman Peter Newton and his Chinese wife Su Hua. Peter Newton was already renowned as a pioneer of winemaking in the Napa Valley, having founded the Sterling Winery near Calistoga in the 1960s. The Newtons transformed one square mile of rolling hillside in Spring Mountain into one of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious estates, whose wines have graced the official dinners of several US presidents.
The Newton estate encompasses 170 acres of prime Napa Valley terroir, distributed over four separate, wholly owned vineyards: Spring Mountain, Yountville, Mount Veeder and Carneros.
Newton is renowned for producing wines that are uniquely characterful expressions of varietals emblematic of the Napa Valley, notably Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Working patiently with nature, we are committed to precision viticulture and winemaking techniques yielding wines that are acclaimed for their balance, harmony and full, abundant flavors.
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.