Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Potentially perfect, the 1999 Petite-Syrah Hayne Vineyard (475 cases, 15.2% alcohol) is a 50-year wine. If it is showing any age after a decade of cellaring, I will be as surprised as its producers. An opaque black/blue color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of blackberry and creme de cassis blended with spices, minerals, and earth. Frightfully tannic, with unreal concentration, texture, and length, this behemoth is one of the most concentrated wines I have ever tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050+.
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.