Producer: Duckhorn Vineyards (web)
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend
Designation: Decoy
Country: USA
Region: California
Appellation: Napa Valley
The Little Wooden Guy likes it. Plus, most good decoys are also made from wood, and he feels a certain kinship.
Night One
The nose opens with blackberries and a bit of blackcurrant, all floating over some underlying nettles and greenery, followed by some vanilla.
It is far less green on the palate. It opens with blueberry and boysenberry jams, some tobacco leaf and cedar. Vanilla and brown sugar make an appearance on the mid-palate. Tannins are sweet and the finish is long.
Mouth-feel is full and think, lots of glycerin. Alcohol and acids are very well balanced. This is a definite "drink now" because it is good, but let's wait for Night Two to get a sense of cellar life and potential for improvement.
Night Two
Redcurrant, red licorice, and some cherries are all on the nose, a much fruitier and, well, redder nose than on Night One.
The palate is just like the nose this time. It has redcurrant, red licorice, and cherries. The licorice is more pronounced on the palate, but they are all there. Tannins are very sweet and smooth. There is a secondary flavor of tobacco leaf, enough to make it wonder if there is some cab franc in the mix. Vanilla shows upon the mid-palate, along with some cedar. Sure, there was obviously new oak used, but it is not overpowering or out of balance.
This is not a terribly complex wine. At an average cost of a little less than $30, it doesn't knock the QPR out of the park, but Napa wines tend to catch a pretty penny.
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