Winemaker Notes
Winery Chef Chris Kennedy enjoys Dragon‘s Tooth with slow cooked peppers and tomatoes for the deep richness that complements this wine perfectly. He suggests pairing with leaner cuts of beef like flank or skirt steak.
Blend: 54% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Rich, malbec-based red with lots of crushed-berry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Full body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. A big wine with verve! A blend of 54% malbec, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 16% petit verdot and 5% merlot. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
Damson and sloe aromas over a palate of almost brandied ripe fruits with lovely skin tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
This combines 54% Malbec with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot for a forceful red of powerful concentration. Sweet oak and burly black fruit combine around a spicy, meaty midpalate, with firm tannins extending on the 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.