93 Points - JamesSuckling.com

"A tight and linear red with blackberry and chocolate character. Full body and firm tannins and a flavorful finish. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, petit verdot, cabernet franc and merlot. Beautiful now but better in 2020. Screw cap." - James Suckling, December 2017

Tasting Notes

Our 2014 Winemaker’s Reserve Red Wine is the perfect blend to showcase the deeply concentrated, complex wines, of this wonderful vintage. This deep crimson-hued Bordeaux-style blend bursts with expressive aromas of rhubarb, rustic cherry, and Christmas spice cake aromas. Underlying the bright fruits there is a subtle smoked meatiness, reminiscent of prosciutto wrapped fresh figs.  On the palate, the blend mixes both dark and red berry notes creating a pleasing mouthfeel with hints of delicate young rose perfume and dusty tannins that dance across your palate on the lengthy finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon component delivers rich cassis and blackberry character as well as a powerful structure to the blend, while the Merlot tames the tannins with its plush mid-palate and notes of sour cherry and dark chocolate. Cabernet Franc adds a hint of savory wild thyme and gives even more complexity to the upfront fruit profile, as does Malbec with its juicy plum note. Lastly, the seductive floral hint comes from the Petit Verdot. New French oak barrels provide the final layers of this blend, adding baking spices and a brioche-like sweet toast on the finish.

Vineyard Notes

Each grape variety was grown in the specific mesoclimate and soils of Napa Valley where it is able to achieve its most outstanding character. A significant portion of the wine was grown in our estate vineyards. The Cabernet Sauvignon came from the St. Helena, Rutherford and Yountville American Viticultural Areas (AVAs); the Merlot from the Oakville and Los Carneros AVAs; the Cabernet Franc from the Calistoga AVA; the Malbec from the Mt. Veeder AVA and the Petit Verdot was grown in the Rutherford AVA.

Vintage Notes

Dry, early and shaking is how 2014 will be remembered in Napa Valley, yet it had a silver lining with small, concentrated berries and high quality. February’s rains brought the total rainfall from low to adequate and help relieve three years of drought conditions. Warm temperatures promoted early budbreak and accelerated grape maturation. Just as harvest began, a dramatic 6.0 earthquake shook Napa Valley awake on August 24; Provenance was fortunate to come through unscathed. We finished the very compact, plentiful harvest by mid-October and celebrated the vintage’s “ripened-to-perfection” grapes.

Winemaking Notes

After hand-harvesting the fruit and then hand-sorting it twice at the winery, we gently destemmed the grapes to retain at least 60 percent whole berries. Three days of cold-soaking before fermentation gently extracted the deep purple color and rich varietal flavors from the skins. A portion of the wine was fermented in barrels, with the balance in stainless steel to enhance the plush texture of the wine and integrate fruit and oak character. Following fermentation, extended skin contact, and gentle pressing, the wine completed malolactic fermentation in barrels to round out the acidity. Aging in French oak barrels wove toasty oak tones through the dark-fruit character.