Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 4% Zinfandel, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A creamy, full-bodied red with aromas of stewed blackberries, blackcurrants, dark chocolate, black tea and sweet tobacco. Ripe, polished tannins support a velvety core of dark fruit and chocolate. Delicious finish. Tight and so together. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Powerful and well-structured, with zesty acidity to the dried red berry and currant flavors. Minerally richness lingers into the crunchy finish, with plenty of savoriness. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. Drink now through 2025.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from mostly Merlot, with Zinfandel and Petite Sirah also in the mix, this is a bold, brawny and fruit-forward wine. Rich in vanilla with a light grip of luxurious texture and length, it finishes in clove, nutmeg and cola.
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.