OVID Hexameter
Tasting Note
2014 was the third consecutive year of drought in Napa Valley. We received almost no rain in all of 2013 and little rain in 2014 until the storms in February. They provided a bit of respite and relief but were immediately followed by unusually warm temperatures that ushered in an early bud break. A warm, dry growing season followed until August, when temperatures rose just a bit–a harbinger of good things to come. Harvest began early and went quickly. Ours started on September 4 and ended in an exuberant flurry on the 24th, just a day before a locally heavy rain and hailstorm.
The 2014 Hexameter wine is opulent and robust with vibrant fruit, reflecting its early and generous growing season. It features 51% of the compelling Cabernet Franc of this vintage, interwoven with 37% lush Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% elegant Merlot. Notes of fresh boysenberry, black raspberry, and rhubarb pie combine with violet candy, sage and cardamom to create a bold wine with a great sense of balance.
Vintage Data
- Appellation:
Napa Valley - Soil Type:
Hambright soil series - Harvest Dates:
September 4-24 - pH Level:
3.7 - Alcohol:
14.8% - Aging:
22 months
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 51% Cabernet Franc, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2014 Hexameter opens with beautiful redcurrants, kirsch and rose hip tea scents with a core of black raspberries and black cherries plus a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with ripe, rich, bold cherry-laced fruit, sparked by red fruits and floral notions and finishing long with a compelling graininess.
Jeb Dunnuck
It’s no doubt a powerful wine, yet it’s the purity, complexity, and length that sets this apart.
Described as a great, early year by the team at OVID, the 2014 Hexameter is a brilliant wine based on 51% Cabernet Franc, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot. It has riveting purity of fruit as well as complex spring flowers, blueberries, cassis, and subtle background oak-laced aromas and flavors. It’s incredibly seamless, layered, and has a finish that won’t quit. It’s no doubt a powerful wine, yet it’s the purity, complexity, and length that sets this apart. Drink it over the coming two decades or so.
Antonio Galloni
OVID’s 2014 Hexameter is gracious and perfumed, both of which suit it mid-weight personality perfectly. A host of floral and savory notes run through a core of sweet wild cherry fruit. The flavors turn a bit darker and richer in the glass, but the wine never loses its sublime expression of both site and vintage.