Palate
Using Syrah and Zinfandel as blenders, adds a dark velvety feel to the lush berry flavor profile of the Merlot. Dense black fruit aromas are followed by blueberry and chocolate flavors, and supple tannins on the palate.
Growing Conditions
Napa Valley native and winemaker, Tony Coltrin, brings more than 40 years of winemaking experience to Oberon, with expertise in sourcing quality fruit from the best vineyards in the valley and understanding the region's uniqueness for growing classic Bordeaux varieties. His long-standing relationships with local growers ensure a consistency in the quality of the grapes grown in premier Napa Valley sub-appellations for Oberon.
Despite receiving close to 75% of normal rainfall, the warmer and dryer than usual winter season, resulted in an early bud break that coupled with a cool Spring and long flowering period resulted in an uneven fruit set. Temperatures through the first half of the growing season were even and warm, giving way to repeated heat surges in the final ripening weeks that pushed the harvest ahead by 2 weeks. This weather pattern resulted in smaller than usual clusters and a lighter than usual crop of beautiful rich character.
Winemaking
To naturally soften tannins and enhance varietal complexity, Tony allowed the grapes to undergo extended maceration. He then pressed the wine and transferred it to French oak barrels (45% new oak) to undergo a long malolactic fermentation for roundness and depth.
