Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Generous and easy drinking, with rich, complex dark berry flavors that are smooth-textured, deep and persistent, losing a little traction on the finish, ending with a minerally edge. Drink now through 2017. 800 cases made.
-
Wine Enthusiast
This generous Syrah is reminiscent of a nice, rich Provençal wine. It’s soft and spicy and fruity, with a good grip of tannin. The black raspberry, mulberry and cherry flavors are dusted with cinnamon and clove, and you’ll find a coating of sweet, smoky oak. The vineyard is on Atlas Peak.
Editors' Choice
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.