2015 GUARACHI NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Some of the greatest wines are all about balancing the tension created by two distinct and powerful sites and calling on the best qualities of each individual terroir,  then harmonizing them into a complete wine.  You’ll find a stunning example of this in Guarchi’s 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet.  They chose two idyllic vineyards that are both capable of producing superior quality fruit with powerful flavors. The 2015 blends Cabernet from Broken Rock Vineyard on Atlas Peak, and Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard in Saint Helena.  Broken Rock is named for the incredibly rocky terroir so abundant that crushed rock notes are vividly perceptible in wines from this site.  Beckstoffer’s iconic Las Piedras Vineyard is known for rich, gravely soils and vines that produce mineral driven Cabernet.  The two sites together project a remarkably complex wine with brilliant depth and hedonistic flavors, and at the winery price of $90, it’s a phenomenal value considering the fruit sources.

Combining fruit from two very different vineyards in a way that perfectly balances the best qualities from each site, can require a talented winemaker.  Guarachi hired Julian Gonzalez who previously held the lead winemaking position for Paul Hobbs Consulting.  The 2015 checks in at 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and after developing for 18 months in French oak and another around 2 1/2 years in the bottle, this 2015 is rocking right now.