Deep garnet hue, aromas of dried rose petals, violets, with hints of cumin, anise, fennel, and licorice, and scorched wood, almond extract, graphite. On the palate it is juicy and bright, with Bing cherry, plum, cranberry. The sweet round middle is followed by a silky texture on the finish, with cocoa powder, lifting acidity and tightly-woven tannins. Elegance carries through start to finish.
Brix: 27º
Black plum, ripe raspberry, strawberry, and bramble berries on the nose are balanced with an element of earthiness, and hints of gravel or wet stone. Full-bodied, with bright flavors of ripe raspberry, wild strawberries and cherry, and notes of chocolate-covered cherries and black tea. Clean great finish.
WINEMAKING CONSULTANT: Michael Rolland
Diverse aromas of bittersweet chocolate, black licorice and anise, cedar, lead pencil shavings, complemented by a cooling freshness on the nose, reminiscent of bay leaves and a floral perfume. On the palate a soft sweet entry widens into a full-bodied wine with fine tannins and rich deep flavors of crème de cassis, vanilla, caramel, with lingering white raspberry, cranberry and Bing cherry. Beautiful acidity is woven into the multifaceted experience, thus tempting your palate to dive into another taste… Would pair excellently with grilled lamb chops with a balsamic reduction glaze.
This beautiful wine is very finely wrought, yet notably straightforward. Its color, as dark as the darkest melancholy, invites a kind of meditative lyricism. Finishing with the airy velocity of the silken verse, it reminds us of the wild onrushing joy…of being alive. A Votre Sante!
Viader has a long history of producing great Bordeaux-style blends grown at a high elevation on Howell Mountain. This 2010 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with almost the same percentages as the superb 2009 bottling. The wine is rich, dry and complex. It shows a fantastic array of blackberries, dates and dark chocolate, with fascinating notes of lavender and dill. The tannins are gorgeous, the acidity fine, and the application of oak is deft. It’s hard to describe just how good this wine feels in the mouth. Drink now, after decanting, or within the next 20 years.
(52% petit verdot and 48% cabernet sauvignon): Good bright ruby-red. Ripe aromas of black raspberry, plum, cherry, leather and licorice, complicated by subtle soil tones. The palate shows an almost chocolatey sweetness to the red fruit and pepper flavors. This fairly large-scaled wine benefits from insidious, harmonious acidity, which carries its flavors through a fairly tannic finish. There’s an elegance to the petit verdot here.
