Winemaker Notes
Ruby red color with aromas of red plums and cherry fruit layered with hints of toasty French Oak. Some dried spices in the nose as well, cardamom and five spice. Very soft and supple across the palate with red fruit character dominating the flavor profile. Barely there silky tannins add structure and texture without heaviness. Balance and length are good with persistent flavors lasting several minutes.
Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Generous and ripe, full-bodied and intense, with great balance and soft structure; another winner from Heidi Barrett.
-
Wine Enthusiast
With 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a well-made, medium-bodied red, with soft texture and a fresh underbelly of acidity. Sage, dried herb and crisp red-fruit dominate a well-integrated core of texture and toasted oak, finishing in nice notes of baking spice.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.