Winemaker Notes
Blend: 50% Syrah, 50% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Jonathan Malthus of Château Teyssier in St-Emilion and The Colonial Estate in Barossa is releasing the first vintage of his new project in Napa Valley, World's End. This blend, half cabernet franc and half syrah, is more than a clever midpoint between his home base and his Australian project. Grown in the cool hills southeast of the city of Napa, there's a fragrant logic to this wine that makes the blend compelling. It's fresh and bright, the purple richness of syrah checked by the edgier details of cabernet franc's tannin. That tannin seems to open up the flavors of the wine, bringing out mineral notes and red tones in the fruit. Firm and complete, this blends tension and richness together in a delicious red for steak frites.
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.