Region: Napa Valley, California

Varietal: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Tasting notes: Opaque ruby core with a bright purple rim. A dense and extracted blend from this muscular vintage. The 2013 weaves toward black fruit, blueberry, and earthy undertones with wisps of brighter cherry fruit flirting above. It is a bold wine with firm dusty tannins, a wonderfully textured mid-palate and more than ample juicy fruit providing a hedonistic layer. This wine has developed beautifully over the past 9 years.

Producer: Proprietors Bob and Anne Arns’ original concept in planting the vineyard was to create a mosaic of Bordeaux red varieties that could be fashioned into an individual wine. Their 10 acre vineyard site is planted in Coombsville (Napa’s newest sub appellation), located just east of the town of Napa. Their vineyard is in the south eastern part of Coombsville against the hills of the Vaca Mountains. Coombsville is generally known for being a cooler region as it is located in the southern part of the Napa Valley closer to the moderating affects of the San Pablo Bay. The Arns strive to produce the finest estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux style blends while being responsible stewards of the land.

Vineyard and Winemaking: Harvest of the Malbec began on September 14th followed two weeks later by the Cabernet Sauvignon. The cooler, sunny weather in October allowed the Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc still on the vine to linger longer, developing more flavor maturities. The grapes were immediately taken to the winery and de-stemmed into small, open-top microvinification bins where the juices and skins fermented and macerated between 16 and 35 days, dependent on variety and vineyard block. Each bin received hand punch-down treatments and was monitored daily by winemaker Ken Bernards. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was racked into thin-staved new French oak barrels selected from an array of forests with various toast levels for up to 21 months.