Tasting Notes

The 2008 vintage at OVID Napa Valley was expansive, generous and plush. The grapes ripened slowly through the warm summer months, gently leading to an unhurried, block by block harvest in September and October.

The 2008 OVID Napa Valley is imbued with the sense of accumulation and abundance characteristic of the vintage. Deep, rich layers of red fruit, cloves, blueberry, sage and ginger abound, intensely expressed. Yet the wine retains the pleasing balance that has always been at the heart of our winemaking. Its steady structure, combined with smoothly polished tannins, make for a wine that is both immediately appealing and one that will reward cellaring.

View Note Card

Critical Acclaim

James Suckling

This has beautiful balance. Very attractive, full bodied, and dense with impeccable balance. Polished tannins and a long finish. What a wine!

Wine Spectator

Rich and fleshy, with ripe plum, wild berry, mineral, cedar and anise flavors. Medium- to full-bodied, graceful and elegant, ending with a delicate aftertaste and a firm, minerally finish.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A delicious, full-throttle, multi-dimensional wine.

The 2008 OVID (68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) is a slightly more restrained and marginally lighter version of the 2007. Still, it is a delicious, full-throttle, multi-dimensional wine, with loads of red, blue and black fruits and hints of camphor and graphite as well as forest floor notes in a medium-bodied, restrained, but impressively authoritative style to drink over the next 15 or more years.

Antonio Galloni

One of the highlights among the early vintages, the 2008 OVID is the first wine in this tasting that is complete in its balance of aromatics, fruit, acidity and tannin. Blackberry jam, spice, exotic spices, black cherry, menthol, licorice and lavender are all nicely delineated throughout, with hints of creme de cassis and crushed rocks that add freshness as the wine starts to open up in the glass.