2 minute read
First Tier
A FIRST TIER California Cabernet
WORDS ANDREW CHALK
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If you are still kicking yourself for not getting in early to the lists of Napa cult wineries Screaming Eagle, Colgin or Harlan check this out. Ovid Napa Valley is a newer, lesser known Napa cult wine founded with a nothing but the best approach by medical software entrepreneurs Mark Nelson and Dana Johnson.
Consider that Ovid is on Pritchard Hill, sharing land with the likes of Chappellet and Mondavi’s Continuum. The vineyard was planted and continues to be managed by David Abreu. The first winemaker was Screaming Eagle/ Harlan/Staglin winemaker Andy Erickson and France’s most famous enologist Michel Rolland is a
consultant. Ovid makes only four wines each year. All Estate Grown. Ovid Napa Valley is a red blend of four of the five Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot). “Experiment, an experimental blend of red Bordeaux varieties that varies each year. Hexameter , a Cabernet Francintensive blend and Loc. Cit., a site specific Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
I tried the 2012 Ovid Napa Valley . It has a ruby red color and medium plus viscosity. The color is intense at the core, lightening towards the meniscus. In the nose, the ripe raspberry fruit is accompanied by black pepper and mushrooms. In the mouth, the fruit is expansive and benefits from breathing. The raspberry fruit is confirmed along with thyme. There is a bottomless pit of subtle nuances of fruit and herb flavors. Tannins are soft and lush, making this a wine that is easy to drink now, but it will keep for several years.
The forward fruit style marks this unmistakably as a Napa Valley wine but one with tremendous breed that exemplifies all that is best in Napa fruit.
Currently Ovid sells for between $150 and $200 a bottle but the history of other Napa cult Cabernets suggest that this could increase substantially.
The best way to get on the conveyor belt is to sign up on their web site now and plan a trip to the stunning winery this summer. Tours are private and by appointment only.
