Winemaker Notes
The 2013 Roy Estate Proprietary Red is not a shy wine! This dark violet beauty explodes from the glass with loads of velvety chocolate, wild cherry, plum, leather, licorice and clove. Exciting the palate are endless full-bodied layers of complexity and lush mouthfeel with notes of blackberries, exotic spices and crème de cassis. The wine has great concentration with rich, but smooth tannins and well integrated French oak. Truly another perfect expression of this special, unique estate. It’s drinking beautifully now with its purity and youthful freshness, but will age gracefully for 20 years or more.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. This wine was aged in 85% new Taransaud oak for 19 months prior to bottling of 650 cases. The wine is a beauty, with loads of charcoal, scorched earth, blackcurrants and blackberry fruit present, along with underlying smoky notes. It is dense purple, full-bodied, and rich, with moderate tannin. This wine will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring and drink well for another 20-25 years. Rating: 96+
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.