Nose
with aromas of violets, nutmeg and red fruit.
Palate
The soft and supple tannins and
sweet oak give way to flavors of cocoa powder, framed by red fruits with hints of
dark fruit. The wine’s layers of complexity are derived from grapes grown in selected
vineyards in the Rutherford, Yountville, and Mount Veeder AVAs. The Cabernet
franc adds flavors of earth, mineral, and mushrooms
Growing Conditions
The 2011 growing season was the most challenging in Anthony’s 35 vintages in Napa Valley, characterized by
unusually cool temperatures, uncertainty, ill-timed rain, and crop loss. A wet winter and spring continued with
unusual rainfall into mid-June that delayed bloom and disrupted fruit set in parts of the region. Some vineyards saw
more than 30% loss of crop. There were few days over 90 degrees during summer, and autumn started with some
rare early rain storms. Overall the growing season saw more than a third above normal rainfall and ended in the
latest harvest in anyone's memory. This was truly the year of the professional. Vineyard managers, cellar masters
and winemakers used every tool available to them to achieve glory. At Bell, careful selection of vineyards,
painstaking work during harvest and in the cellar, and of course Anthony’s decades of experience paid off, resulting
in truly elegant wines.
Appearance
dark ruby
color
