Winemaker Notes
The wine is a rich, deep burgundy in the glass, with perfumed aromas of malted milk chocolate, black plum, and red cherry, with hints of saddle leather and wild fennel. The tannins are elegant and long, framing layered flavors of dark chocolate, ripe cherries, espresso, black currant, and the sweet spiciness of a black mission fig.
Professional Ratings
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The Somm Journal
Equal proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot organically grown on the estate are co-fermented to produce this wine. With considerable structure and a regal charm, ripe notes of black cherry and rhubarb meld with mocha and just-tilled soil. Aged 22 months in 60% new French oak.
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James Suckling
This offers some intense and rich aromas of blackcurrants with violet-like florals and blackberries. The palate offers a smooth, bold and balanced array of ripe dark plums and long, succulent tannins. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is an elegant wine made from equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, co-fermented and aged 22 months in French oak, 60% of it new. Cedar, cigar box and oak are complemented by dense black plum and red cherry.
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.