A blend of 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc aged 20 months in new French oak, the 2005 Roberta’s Reserve State Lane Vineyard is a fantastic wine. The clay soil-grown Merlot gives it a chocolaty, exotic red and black fruit character along with notes of mocha, espresso coffee, and roasted herbs. This stunning wine is the most approachable of the three 2005 cuvees. It should drink well for 15-20+ years. As I wrote last year, this is a fabulous success story, and one of the reasons why the wine world can be so exciting. Former Hungarian immigrant, Lou Kapcsandy, along with his wife, Bobbi, and son, Louis, purchased Beringer’s old State Lane Vineyard, which was often a component part of the Private Reserve Cabernets, brought in Bordelais Denis Malbec to over look the winemaking (the vineyard was planted to the specifications of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer), and in a few short years Kapcsandy began producing world class wines. His Roberta’s Reserve may be the finest Merlot-based wine in the New World. Additionally, the rose is also one of the top roses produced. The 2005 vintage was the first year where this estate truly showcased its potential. There are three red cuvees produced, the Cabernet Sauvignon from the State Lane Vineyard, an Estate Cuvee, which is usually a blend of approximately equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small quantities of Cabernet Franc included, and their flagship offering, the Roberta’s Reserve, which is generally about 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. All three efforts merit considerable attention. They seem to combine the best of French savoir faire (thanks to Denis Malbec and the proprietor’s love of French wine) with the extraordinary ripe, pure fruit grown in well-tended Napa Valley vineyards. P.S. For mailing list members, there is also a small quantity of Vintage Port. The 2007 tasted very good when I tried it.Tel. (707) 948-3100; Fax (707) 948-3106
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