After our epic visits to Domaine Chandon and Silver Oak last Wednesday morning, Kara and I were primed to continue our Napa Valley wine tasting adventure into the PM.
Our next stop was Paraduxx Napa Valley along the Silverado Trail where we were hosted to a tasting at their outside wine lounge. Paraduxx is a sister winery to Duckhorn Vineyards. The main focus of the winery is to focus on blends… usually red… mostly including Zinfandel… and almost always just two grapes… Get it? Paraduxx.
Here’s what we had…
The Migration 2011 Russian River Valley Chardonnay had a beautiful golden hay color to it. The nose was all floral and honey. On the palate, the wine was almost Sauvignon Blanc-like with its grassy green apple flavors. The creamy finish from the 100% French Oak reminds you that it is all Chardonnay. This Chardonnay was the goods. $30. 90+
Next, we got into the red blends…
The whole lot of ’em…
The Paraduxx 2010 Z Blend is 63% Zinfandel, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Merlot. Fruits of strawberries and figs dominate the nose. On the palate there’s a good minerality, some nice tobacco notes, cranberry and red apples. Nice. $48. 91
The Paraduxx 2010 C Blend consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Zinfandel. The nose is blackberry fruit with a touch of brown sugar. On the palate, apple cores and raspberries give way to a long acidity that is sprinkled with black tea notes. This is good stuff. $52. 91+
The Paraduxx 2010 Rector Creek Vineyard is a single-vineyard blend of 65% Zinfandel, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Merlot. Think about cranberries. On the nose, you’ve got cranberries and herbs. On the palate, it’s all juicy cranberry and blackberry fruit. Cranberries, y’all. $78. 91
Now… The Paraduxx 2010 Howell Mountain is my jam. 65% Zinfandel. 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is of menthol and blackberries. The palate is all tobacco, herbs, and oranges with some good red fruit throughout. This wine is mad approachable right now, but it’s got the structure to lay down for the next 10+ years. This wine is great. $78. 93
While at the tasting lounge, we tried a couple other wines from the Duckhorn family…
The Goldeneye 2010 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir has the nose of red apples and cranberries. On the palate, you’ve got some more of that red apple with some nice tobacco notes. At 14.5% alcohol, this is a big Pinot Noir that Cabernet Sauvignon lovers will hella dig. $55. 91
Wine is food. This flight was a meal. Every meal should end with dessert. The Duckhorn 2011 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc is a great dessert. Super orange and gold in color. Nose of oranges, hay, and honey. The palate is much of that same orange, hay, and honey flavor with the addition of some tasty yeast notes. $45 (half-bottle). 91
As much as it pained us to have to leave the beautiful wine (and surroundings) of Paraduxx Napa Valley, there was still plenty of daylight left… So…
It was on to the next stop…
During the day, as I checked in on Twitter, I noticed quite a few people talking up Flora Springs, so we hit up their tasting room in St. Helena…
The Tasting Room
All the wines were nice. This one was an especially tasty treat…
Flora Springs 2010 Poggio Del Papa
We finished off our day at one of my favorite Napa Valley wineries…
They’ve got some killer wines. If you saw this video when I posted it a few months back, you would have already known that.
The highlight of the tasting was their EJ Church 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. If you ever feel like getting me an early Christmas present, please feel free to hook me up with this earthy, herby, menthol, and eucalyptus fun.
As the sun set over the ranch, we knew it was time to bring the day’s tastings to a close…
The Ranch in the Setting Sun
That’s not to say we didn’t keep the good times rolling in the Napa Valley after dark…
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Be sure to check in next time when Jeff and Kara taste some epic food in the Napa Valley after dark.
What’s your favorite red blend? Leave a comment and let us know.
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