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The 2009 Napa Valley Red Wine

BLEND: 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 59% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc

AGING: Aged for 20 months in 60% new French Oak barrels

WINEMAKER NOTES:

The 2009 vintage was a long, mild growing season which delivered fruit with bright acidity, relatively low potential alcohol, dark color, and expressive aromatics. As the year was relatively cool for Napa Valley standards, Merlot performed particularly well. For the 2009 Mad Hatter, we blended fruit from our estate with grapes from other valued sources in the Napa Valley, to create a wine that is soft, rich and generous. Cabernet Sauvignon adds a regal, classic quality to the wine, while smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot provide a depth and aromatic complexity that makes the wine even more compelling. After a short decanting, the wine comes alive, with deep, ripe notes of blackberry, black tea, and forest floor. On the palate, a solid tannic framework supports the rich fruit flavors, accompanied by subtle notes of gravel and minerals. This wine will easily age for a decade or more, but should probably be consumed now, in its youth, to enjoy all of the bright, fresh fruit character it shows now.