Winemaker Notes
Since its debut with the 2004 vintage, Asterisk Proprietary Red represents the second selection from Sloan Estate, showcasing an alternate yet elegant and compelling expression of the terroir. Charming and bold, it is made from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Produced under the same obsessive attention to detail and unyielding standards as Sloan, Asterisk is juicy and sensual, offering an explosion of fruit aromas and flavors. While it holds the promise of aging potential, it is a splendidly inviting wine that is intended to satisfy the desire for instant gratification.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
During my visit, I was able to taste two 2012s from this great estate. Starting with the 2012 Asterisk, it has a complex, layered, medium to full-bodied style that's drinking brilliantly today. Red and black currants, iron, tapenade, and truffly notes define the aromatics, and it's flawlessly balanced and elegant.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Asterisk leaps from the glass with warm red and black plums with touches of redcurrant jelly, Black Forest cake and incense with nuances of camphor, forest floor, dried sage and tapenade. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, the muscular red and black fruit flavors have a rock-solid, grainy texture and seamless freshness supporting the intense flavors through the long, savory finish.
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.