Tasted ahead of our Jackson Family Wines dinner at Bocco di Lupo in Soho this wine is from the Napa Valley in California, home of super premium ripe cabernets.

Napa Valley is nestled within the coastal range of mountains but is open to San Pablo Bay in the south. The slopes of Mount Veeder AVA face east and located to the south-west experiences both the cooling influences of the Bay and altitude. East facing slopes are also shielded from the sun in late afternoon at the hottest part of the day. This means it is day time temperatures on the mountain can be 10 – 15 degrees cooler than the valley floor.  These conditions tend to produce wines that are structured with firm tannins and retained freshness and the ability to age for a long time.

The wine is mostly cabernet sauvignon but with a splash of other Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  In fact JFW make a Mt Brave Mount Veeder Malbec too.

Deep crimson and ruby with lively viscous legs denoting the 14.5% ABV

Nose is superb: Ripe blackcurrant, blackberry liqueur, a lingering savoury meaty element with a bright red plum and cherry lift, followed by perfumed cedar, blackcurrant leaf, sandalwood, fresh vanilla pod, a hint of milk chocolate, a bit of pencil shavings, and lifted tones of violets encompassed by new oak. Stunningly elegant and evocatively haunting.

Palate: Fruit is all ripe but not overripe with a strong surge of acidity highlighting the red cherry and plum and a long finish tending to concentrated blackcurrant with a hint of savoury meatiness. Tannins are fine but very abundant and a bit grippy, with oak not feeling quite fully integrated yet. Warm finish denoting the ABV level. Super balance and elegance with an undercurrent of power supported by the structure. This will transform intime into a magnificent example of Napa elegance balanced with power.