Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bob Foley has championed this heirloom variety, which so many others long ago abandoned. The wine shows an old-fashioned ruggedness and the kind of in-your-face tannins and grapeskin astringency you don’t see much anymore. Yet it’s massively fruity and will age well.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The talented Bob Foley turns out one of the two finest Charbonos in California. (Turley Cellars produces the other). Deep ruby/purple with notes of earth, mocha, black cherry, and spice, Foley's 2004 Charbono is full-bodied, chewy, slightly rustic, but tasty.
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Wine Spectator
A remarkably complex and enticing Charbono that actually tastes great. Rich, full-bodied yet lean and tightly focused, this exhibits a complex array of new leather, mineral and tart wild berry flavors that turn smooth and polished on the palate. Very impressive.
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.