Napanook

With its own distinct personality, Napanook presents a bold and vibrant character. Its exuberant fruit, smooth structure, and medium bodied texture lend to its immediate appeal. Made solely from grapes grown at the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville, Napanook is blended from vineyard blocks carefully selected for their lively fruit, soft tannins, and early maturing characteristics. The wine is created to be consumed young and enjoyed with food, but will also age well for more than a decade.

Winemaker notes

2019: Napanook 2019 is vibrant with lilac, boysenberry, licorice and lively tannins.
It can be enjoyed in its youth or aged for several years.

2018: The 2018 Napanook is a wine with tension and compelling aromas of petrichor, iron, earth and dark tobacco punctuated with notes of marjoram and candied orange peel. The finish is firm, vibrant with finely grippy tannins.

2018

Wine Advocate 93+: Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Napanook leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of fresh blueberries, black cherries, crushed blackcurrants and redcurrant jelly with hints of pencil shavings, red roses and dusty soil plus a waft of bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is very tightly wound, allowing glimpses at loads of mineral and savory nuances among the taut black and red fruit notes, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with a compelling herbal lift.

James Suckling 96: An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth, too, together with mushrooms, herbs, crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and refined finish. Blood orange at the end. Crunchy. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.

2019

Wine Advocate 93: Exuberantly fruity on the nose, the 2019 Napanook is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Despite seeing 40% new French oak, what shines on the nose are the ripe cherries, delicately brushed with wisps of tobacco, sage and bay leaf. It's medium to full-bodied, supple and silky in feel on the palate, while the finish lingers easily, adding notes of pencil shavings and mocha. To get this sort of pedigree for less than $100 is a rarity in Napa these days, making it a notable value.

James Suckling 96: An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth, too, together with mushrooms, herbs, crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and refined finish. Blood orange at the end. Crunchy. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.