Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Ultraripe, pushing it to the max. Rich mocha-laced black cherry and blackberry fruit. Hints of milk chocolate, herb and currant. Finishes with smooth, plush tannins and excellent length and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1999 Proprietary Red Wine (a 1,725-case blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Merlot) is a successful offering. A dense purple color accompanies its sweet nose of creme de cassis intermixed with smoky, toasty oak, tar, and earth. While it leans toward a more austere, Bordeaux-like style, it possesses more glycerin, alcohol, and depth than most ripe Bordeaux. The finish exhibits chocolate and black currant flavors, plenty of sweetness, and austere tannin.
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.