Winemaker Notes
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A juicy and rich wine with blueberry and spice character. Full and velvety plus lots of fruit and hints of rose petal. Very stylish and cool. Best wine in years from here
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The deep ruby/plum/purple-tinged 2012 Proprietary Red Blend Viader is composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits lots of spice box, cedarwood, fruitcake, black currant, plum and Asian soy characteristics in its medium to full-bodied, supple textured, soft, round, seductive personality. Enjoy it over the next 10-12 years.
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.