Winemaker Notes
The PALAZZO 2016 ‘Left Bank’ Red Cuvée Master Blend is ‘generous on the palate’ …with lots of rich & delicious Napa Cabernet Sauvignon fruit! Lush black-cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose and palate, along with hints of chocolate, coffee and cassis notes! The wine enjoys a freshness, with the enticing ‘Signature Palazzo Wine aromatics & finesse’…that all Palazzo Wines have! The beautiful floral tones and spice come from the Merlot and Cabernet Franc fruit blended in from the Carneros Region! The mouthfeel is plush & full-bodied, with integrated sweet tannins and great acidity …with a long and distinctive finish!
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cab Franc added, this wine is perfumed with ripe blue and black fruit. Dark chocolate comes in initially, melding with sweet-tobacco tannins and a deluxe texture. Blue fowers dazzle on the fnish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Left Bank Master Blend is blended of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it features intense notions of wild blueberries, raspberry preserves, cassis and cherry cordial with touches of molten chocolate, menthol, licorice and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers loads of black and red fruit layers in the mouth with great freshness and a soft, rounded texture, finishing long.
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James Suckling
A bold, rich and impressively ripe, fleshy cabernet that carries big, ripe blueberry and plum flavors in a round, flamboyant style. Drink or hold.
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.