Winemaker Notes
Left Bank Red has that familiar old-world, wild berry charm, and pairs it with attractive aromas and flavors of cherry, cedar, coffee bean and minerality. Neyers likens it to a fine red from Bordeaux’s left bank.
Blend: 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This sturdy, well-concentrated Merlot-based blend offers tempting black and blue fruits, velvety tannins and an almost sweet fruitiness that leads to a lingering finish. Notes of cocoa, vanilla and chocolate cherries give plenty to appreciate.
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Wine Spectator
Rather tight at the moment but well-structured and refined, with cherry and currant flavors accented by notes of underbrush and cedar as this builds tension toward wiry tannins.
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.