Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis Cab Franc– dominant blend (with 15% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon) shows beauty and grace. Dried brush and violets form an exquisite floral bouquet with an echo of earthy blackberry. Satiny, round, and voluptuous, with dusty dark-chocolate and roasted-coffee tannins, it fills the mouth with flavor while keeping the nose attracted to its perfume.
Aaron Pott selects the fruit for this wine from four vineyards: Shiflett in Yountville, Crocker & Starr in St. Helena, Hudson in Carneros and Stagecoach in the eastern hills. It’s mostly cabernet franc (82 percent), blended with merlot and a little cabernet sauvignon, the fruit dark and intense, with cumin-like spice, a blueberryliqueur note and round, honeyed sweetness. Plush and rich.
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.