Cakebread Cellars

This unusual blend made by winemaker Julianne Laks adds up to a very substantial, interesting, and well-made wine from a family that has been making wine in the Napa Valley for more than 30 years.

The blend is comprised mostly, of course, of Merlot (81 percent) and the little-used Malbec (less than 3 percent), which is the least popular of the five classic red Bordeaux varieties grown in the Napa Valley. There’s also a touch (little more than 2.5 percent) of Syrah.

What it adds up to is a wine that has lots of blackberry aromas with a touch of earthiness and tar. The structure is substantial, which means it’ll age well (for up to 15 years I think), but it’s tight right now. Nonetheless, the wine is balanced, with evident tannins and hints of chocolate and cocoa powder and good black fruit. Hold onto it for a couple of years and then dig in.

Eighty-six percent of the grapes come from Cakebread’s up-Valley holdings, while the remainder comes from its southern-most vineyards in the Carneros. The listed alcohol is 14.9 percent. The wine was aged for 1½ years in French wood, half of which was new.

Reviewed August 1, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.