Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Pure Magic shows again the beauty of fermenting different blocks together and the additional nuances and complexities that are achieved by co-fermentation. This wine shows a seamless entrance of black cherries, violets and white pepper. The mid palate on this year‘s Pure Magic is classic Pure Magic with complete front to back and side to side sweet/round tannin saturation. There really is no perception of mid palate transition to the finish, they both melt together into the classic peacocks tail of dark chocolate and espresso which both linger on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
So sleek, elegant and concentrated, but supple and silky. This melts in the mouth, with blueberries, cream, mocha, creme de cassis, chocolate and mint. Full-bodied, gently tannic, nicely balanced and tempting to drink now. Totally delicious and luscious.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pure Magic almost always includes some Cab Franc-Cab Sauvignon co-ferments, but sourcing varies a bit from year to year. The 2022 Pure Magic includes fruit from Crane, To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch and Melanson, and it comes across as unusually fine and elegant for the vintage. Raspberries, vanilla and a hint of bay leaf can be found on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is framed by fine-grained tannins that turn really silky on the lingering 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.