Winemaker Notes
Black cherry, berries, hints of cola, and minerals joined by a touch of cardamom and vanilla are in the aromatics of this wine. Focused cherry liquor and refined tannins are at the core of its flavor and structure, a central core of intensity that lingers on and on. Balanced and intense, the wine will complement heartier dishes but has the refinement to be an increasingly graceful table companion for many years to come.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Jerry Seps’s widest selection from his hillside estate northwest of Calistoga, Mayacamas Range is meant to be enjoyed in its youth. The wine has grace and energy, delivering dark-cherry roundness directly into the tannins and their bone-broth savor. Those tannins combine blueberry-skin freshness and a hint of bitter almond in a lasting, supple impression. Heady and beautiful.
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James Suckling
Notes of ripe strawberries and raspberries with spicy herbs and citrus peel. Full and fruit-forward with a succulent fruit character and spicy edge to it. Polished tannins and a linear 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.