Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Falstaff is the Cabernet Franc blend of the estate (there’s 37% Cabernet Sauvignon) that was sourced primarily from the Oakville appellation. Ripe black cherries, currants, scorched earth, chocolate, and a flowery, forest floor-like character all emerge from this powerful, concentrated, structured Cabernet Franc. It doesn’t have the sexiness of the To Kolan Cabernet Franc release, yet it’s classic Cabernet Franc all the way and offers sensational purity of fruit. Hide this for 3-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
Rating: 98+ -
Wine Enthusiast
This is the producer’s Cabernet Francbased blend (64%), the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. The Franc comes from the heart of the valley’s sweet Oakville-based spot for the variety, near Rudd and Dalla Valle. It’s tense, focused and brawny in black fruit, violet, tobacco and sweet oak, is laced in peppercorn, cedar and dried herb, an has an Old world sensibility riding over its complexity and structure.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 63% Cabernet Franc and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon from the To Kalon vineyard, the very deep garnet-purple colored 2016 The Falstaff is a little closed to begin, opening up to reveal red and black currants, blackberries and black cherries with floral wafts of roses and lilacs plus earthy hints of truffles, fertile loam and mossy bark. The palate is full-bodied, very firm and grainy with wonderful freshness and depth given by red fruit and mineral sparks, finishing long. This should age amazingly.
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.