{ Red Experiment D7.86 & M9.36 }

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.

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.

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.