Winemaker Notes
The 2006 VIADER Proprietary Cabernet blend is inviting and delicate to the palate with deep purple color and rich bouquet of lavender, Indian spices, bittersweet chocolate and dense dark red fruits. Enveloped in a firm tannin structure the wine shows notes of black pepper, cedar wood and cardamom tones that gracefully intertwine with fully ripened sweet fruit. It finishes with a spark of lingering bittersweet chocolate. Notes of ripe figs, plum and cigar wrap are the main expressions of this wine with some aeration in the glass, after ten or fifteen minutes, it offers floral notes, lavender and again rich spices. This wine has a commanding presence upon opening and requires some patience – 5 to 7 years at least or over an hour decanting – to unveil its complexity and concentration.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Bordeaux-like in its mix of flavors and structure, offering loamy earth, dried currant and berry, with touches of anise, sage and mineral. Ends with firm, dry tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2010 through 2016.
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.