Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
This latest incarnation of Antaeus may well be the best yet, and it wins big marks for both its fine claret-like structure and its very deep and expressive fruit. It is redolent of ripe berries and suggestions of cherries and currants off to the side, and it gains an added measure of richness from its very creamy, sweetly spicy oak. It is sizable without being brawny, and its lingering finish is underscored by a firming streak of finely fit tannins. Allow for at least three or four years of cellaring if at all possible, but know that it will work in a pinch with a juicy rib eye right now if you cannot resist its early charms.
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.