Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Terzetto is generous with aromas from the start, with black cherry, saddle leather, wild blueberries, and a hint of violets. In the mouth the wine shows lovely balance, with broad but velvety tannins mingling with flavors of black plum, wild blackberry, and pipe tobacco. The density of flavors and fine French oak barrel spices persist throughout the lengthy finish.
Blend: 33.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33.3% Cabernet Franc, 33.3% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A cofermented blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this wine shows a wealth of dense red fruit, leather and violet. Balanced and complex in structure and fine tannin, it was given 22 months in French oak, 60% of it new, with the fruit organically grown from the producer's Chiles Valley estate.
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James Suckling
A full-bodied red with black plum, blackcurrant, clove, cocoa bean and hazelnut on the nose. Firm, succulent tannins. Dense, smooth layers of ripe fruit and chocolate. Try from 2021.
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.