Napa Valley

• Atlas Peak
• Best of Napa
• Calistoga
• Conn Valley
• Diamond Mountain
• Howell Mountain
• Mt. Veeder
• Oak Knoll
• Oakville
• Pope Valley
• Rutherford
• Spring Mountain
• St. Helena
• Stags Leap
• Yountville

Though Cuvaison is best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they have an impressive overall portfolio of wine that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Case in point, their 2019 Merlot is nothing short of outstanding. This is a medium bodied wine that drinks like a full-bodied wine with lots of swagger. Black cherry notes dominate along with plum, blackberry, light blueberry, cocoa powder and fresh sawed cedar wood. This is 100% Merlot and shows that with excellent fruit, you can make a Merlot that doesn’t need the addition of other grapes to make it better.

From a 375ML.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood, and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, nice cassis flavors.  Not too ripe but nothing green.  Depth.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should drink well for another seven to ten years.  It drinks well on its own and would be a nice wine with a burger.  

This is a blend of 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, chocolate, slight blueberries and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is deep, complex and layered as it unwinds in the glass.  Great texture.  Flavors of black cherries and chocolate with a bit of char and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is young but drinking well.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  Great on its own, this will work with foods.  Roasted chicken would be a nice matc

This is is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petite Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, pencil lead, cedar and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is a big but not over sized Cab.  Lots of cassis with some char and minerality.  Drinking well now but may still improve a bit.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this would be a classic pairing with a roast or steak.  

Of course, this is the "It" wine right now as it was just named the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year.  It proved to be love or hate at a recent tasting with many rating it as their favorite and a few putting it closer to the bottom.  Of course, even the later voters thought it was a fine wine overall.  It also proved pretty easy to pick out blind as most or the group was able to.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has a strong cotton candy note (others said sweet tarts or "Smarties) along with some cassis.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palat

This wine was originally released in the 1969 vintage and then not again until 2016.  It appears to be more consistent since then.  It is made to be a more ageable wine than their basic Napa Cab utilizing grapes from different areas in Napa.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, slight cassis, cedar and minerality.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cassis with good acidity.  Some underlying smoked earth.  Long finish.  Drinking well now and should drink well for another ten to twelve years.  Nice on its own, this will work well with roasted

Very nice showing for this Cab.  This is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% each of Malbec and Petite Verdot.  Deep purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, plums, chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, plums, and black cherries.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This is drinking well although it may still improve a bit.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  Great on its own but will work well with bigger foods.  It should be great with a really good burger.

This is the base wine for this winery.  Only 44 cases produced.  Inky purple, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight on opening but after an hour or so, this opens nicely to show cassis, char and slight cedar notes.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, blueberries, and cedar.  A long finish  with some cola notes.  This is delicious.  Still young, it needs a couple more years in the cellar and then should drink well for ten to fifteen more.  Great on its own, it will need big food at this point.  Perhaps slow braised beef short ribs would be nice.  

This is a wine from star winemaker Andy Erikson and comes from vineyards on Atlas Peak and Soda Canyon.  First time trying this wine and it was excellent.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is lovely with cassis, chocolate, blueberries and cedar.  Lush texture.  Very tannic at this point.  On the palate, cassis, cedar and char.  Long finish that goes forever.  This is, of course, young, but already performing great.  Still, a few more years in the cellar and then drink for twenty to twenty five after that.  Better on its own right now but once it settles down, this would be

The grapes sourced for the Cabernet is like a who’s who of exceptional areas: Pritchard Hill, Howell Mountain, Calistoga – all definitive Cabernet growing areas. This wine offers rich and deep blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry with back notes of plum, macerated black currant, red raspberry and cocoa powder. Though the oak influence is evident  (aged 22 months in 82% new French oak) it is not overwhelming. This drinks beautifully - the kind of pure enjoyment you want in a Napa Cabernet. 663 cases. ORIGIN: Napa Valley. ALCOHOL: 14.5%