{ Red Experiment D7.86 & M9.36 }
Tasting Note
{ Background and Aims }
Blending can have a distinct and powerful effect on the finished wine style. With the 2006 vintage of Experiment wines, we were curious to see the effect of blending in both a Right and Left Bank style – two very distinct wines from the same place.
{ Methodology }
Using lots from our estate, we made two different blends – one predominantly using Cabernet Sauvignon styled as a Left Bank blend and the other using Cabernet Franc and Merlot in a Right Bank style blend. We were interested in observing the differences in the wines – both immediately and as they aged. Without a previous history or vineyard at the estate, we were uncertain how much blending style would influence the wine, what our preference would be and how those would change with time.
{ Conclusion }
These wines continue to provide us insight – how our site performs and the various voices it has. This being Napa, we were sure that Cabernet Sauvignon would do well as a base for a blend, but this experiment cemented our understanding that Cabernet Franc is just as compelling. They are, perhaps, the first kernel of the concept of having both OVID and Hexameter.