2021 Napa Valley Red Wine

I am attracted to wines that are elusive, the ones that keep drawing you back to discover something new. You could say that is my inspiration for our Napa Valley Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Powerful Cabernet Sauvignon is a relatively easy wine to make in Napa Valley, but in our quest for nuance and complexity, we present our Napa Valley Red. This is the wine where the winemaker’s intuition and decades of blending experience come into full play.

One of the regions of Bordeaux that attracts me the most is St. Julien. I find the wines typically graceful and elegant. Although Cabernet Sauvignon typically provides the backbone, there is typically a good helping of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

The sources for Cabernet Sauvignon come from several wonderful sites in the northern part of the Valley while the Cabernet Franc and Merlot are from the cooler southern end, most appropriate for those two varieties.

We were finally rewarded in 2021 with an excellent vintage, a reward after the challenges of 2020.  Drought conditions continued in 2021 with a very dry spring adding a degree of stress to the vines. Their answer—very small yields. On the plus side, low yields and small berries resulted in concentrated wines packed with depth and flavor. The growing season was relatively uneventful with no significant heat spikes or rain which allowed grapes to be harvested when they reached desired maturity.

Our 2021 Napa Red is a seven-barrel selection, and offers an ode to true elegance. A brilliant dark ruby greets the eye while the nose encounters classic aromas of cassis, ripe plum, sage and thyme with the appropriate amount of sweet French oak. Smooth, supple and lush tannins make the wine immediately palatable and pleasurable. There is sufficient grip in the finish to wake up the palate and sustain it.

The wine is wonderfully approachable and accessible. Delicious is the experience we always aim for, and happy to report, here it is!