Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2015 The Bard offers up a very deep garnet-purple color and highly perfumed scents of violets, dried Provence herbs, lavender and tapenade over a core of cassis and blackberry preserves. Full-bodied and loaded with perfumed black fruit layers, it has a solid frame of rounded, plush-textured tannins and a provocatively earthy finish.
-
James Suckling
Amazing aromas of blackcurrants and black licorice with blue fruit. Hints of burnt orange peel. Full-bodied, very tight and refined on the palate. Tight and beautiful. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.
-
Vinous
The 2015 The Bard is laced with kirsch, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and dried leaves. Aromatically quite open and expressive, the 2015 has aged well. However, the fruit is starting to drop out, so any remaining bottles are best enjoyed sooner rather than later.
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.