Tasting Notes

This non-traditional Bordeaux-style blend is aromatically beautiful and expressive with lovely floral violet notes, hints of fresh-cut herbs and raisined dark-berry fruit. This wine is rich, powerful and saturating with tons of blackberry, plum, black cherry and mocha/chocolate notes. There is also a lifted savory-ness and lively acidity to balance the wine, keeping it supple and elegant with tons of power and finesse. While dense and age-worthy, it remains vibrant and balanced now and would make a wonderful companion to hearty foods.

Vineyard Notes

The Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from our grower partners in Yountville and Oak Knoll in the heart of Napa Valley. Our Petit Verdot came from Trio Vineyards in Yountville, where rich dark soils and warmer mid-valley climate are perfect for the Bordeaux-style blends planted in this region and were especially beneficial for our Petit Verdot. While at Three Hills Vineyard in Oak Knoll, where our Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced, summer mornings heat up to warm afternoons and then the evening cools down with coastal breezes with a slight elevation, allowing our Cabernet Sauvignon, which is planted on well drained, gravelly soil to produce rich, dark fruit of the highest quality.

Vintage Notes

Despite drought conditions, the 2014 vintage proved to be ideal, with excellent quality reminiscent of 2012 and 2013. The winter was one of the driest on record in California, but substantial rains in early spring were timely and set up the vines for a strong start. Summer temperatures were milder than expected with no extremes, and after early budbreak and verasion, harvest was unusually early in 2014. Despite this, the overall dry season was ideal for producing Petite Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon of wonderful quality.

Winemaking Notes

Winemaker Christophe Paubert practiced simple methods to highlight each variety’s unique characteristics in this blend. The grapes for this wine underwent a two-week maceration period designed to pull flavor, color and tannin from the skins. The majority of the blend is Petit Verdot, which provides the backbone of this wine, contributing a deep, intense color, floral notes, plush tannins and saturating dark fruit flavors. The Cabernet Sauvignon adds a softness, creating a wine of tremendous complexity, depth and concentration.

Varietal Composition: 75% Petit Verdot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV: 14.1%