2008 Moone Tsai Cor Leonis Napa

This remarkable cabernet in its especially limited production quantities, receives our Cor Leonis designation, to mark its position as the very "best of our best" wines that we produce. Transfixed by the brightest star in the constellation Leo, the Romans dubbed it Cor Leonis, the "Heart of the Lion."

   Bearing an extraordinary combination of fruit from a trifecta of Napa Valley's most celebrated districts, our 2010 Cor Leonis Cabernet is the hallmark of our winemaking philosophy. The wine's nose entices with aromas of blackberry and spice. In the mouth, these give way to layers of rich, ripe black fruits that are subtly nuanced with minerality and clove. Twenty six months of aging in 90% new French oak provides elegant framing for this wine's concentration and intensity. With its seamless integration of sweet tannins, the wine is voluptuous on the palate, and delivers a sustained finish accented by cinnamon and dark chocolate.

   This richly expressive wine draws its prized fruit from Oakville's heralded To Kalon Vineyard, Pritchard Hill, and Caldwell Vineyard's legendary Block-15 - whose vines have flourished in the rocky, volcanic soils of the heralded Coombsville District for over 30 years. The clone of Cabernet grown on this vineyard is prized for its complexity and depth, and the company of wines sourced from this vineyard is noteworthy.