Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2005 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette is a beautiful blend of Bordeaux grape varieties. Complex and elegant, this wine is at its peak now. Showing complex red and black fruit, with accents of cocoa powder and mineral, its intricate nuances pair it well with pan-seared loin lamb chops. (Tasted: January 12, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
An impressive young Bordeaux blend, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, that shows impeccably ripe, clean fruit but also the hard tannins of its famous mountain. Thoroughly dry, its astringency cannot mask an eruption of blackberries and black currants, accented by smoky oak. Give this lovely wine a good five years to begin to mature.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
81% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Petit Verdot; 7% Cabernet Franc; 5% Merlot. Here is a nice reminder that extract and depth are not always synonymous with overly flamboyant oak and unrestrained ripeness, and, while it is not at all stinting in depth or rich fruit, this bottling exhibits a bit of sophistication that sets it apart. Nicely balanced, slightly supple in feel and fit with especially well-tailored tannins, it is an enjoyable and cellar- worthy wine.
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.