Cain Cuvee Red Blend Napa NV15

People ask, why blend vintages? We ask, why not? The benefits of blending vintages can work similarly to blending varieties. A wine with layers of complexity, wrapped around a balanced and flowing core is our quest. We also want a wine with individuality, a specific personality, so we have found that working with just two vintages is best.

In the case of our Cain Cuvée, we’re looking for lightness and a zesty mouthwatering vibrancy to accompany a wide range of dishes. However, some years are lighter and some years are fuller…this one is fuller. The NV15 follows in style both the NV14 and the NV13, with a bit more weight on the palate. This one will still pair with grilled seafood, but it’s not a delicate wine. Here are my notes: Soft sweet plums, roasted meats…bit of forest floor and savory mushroom...sweet, warm, full...satisfying grip. A lot of wine. Slips right down. Lovely aftertaste.

Today, with the exception of Champagne, the blending of vintages has been nearly forgotten and lost, except with Cain Cuvée. Though the vineyards are the same, no two vintages are ever identical. Certainly a thoughtful blend of two vintages will always be more balanced, more complex, and more interesting than either could be by itself.

The whole principle of the Cain Cuvée project is to deliver wines that you can take seriously, and also that you can enjoy with or without a special occasion. Even so, if you have a bottle or two left, the NV15 will easily run for another decade.

Vintages:

2014, 2015

Appellation:

Napa Valley

Vineyard Locations:

70% Spring Mountain District, 30% Valley Floor

100% Napa Valley

Release date:

September 1, 2019