Winemaker Notes

The 2018 Jovana Napa Valley Merlot/Cabernet Franc is a blend of 64% Merlot and 36% Cabernet Franc, The Merlot comes from Orchard Vineyard in the Oak Knoll district, with the Cabernet Franc coming from the top of Mt Veeder, from the Yates Family Vineyard. Showing dark ruby color, fresh blueberries, black cherries and cedar notes leap from the glass. The inviting nose is followed with a broad, juicy mid-palate that is kept in check with a fresh, clean finish. Very pleasing now but will show even better with two to four years of cellaring.

Reviews

92pts - James Suckling

90pts - Jeb Dunnuck

Harvest Notes

The 2018 growing season began with a relatively dry spring and just a bit below normal rainfall over the winter. Budbreak was on time, leading to flowering in late May. The summer didn’t see too many heat spikes, but we were treated to cooler than normal mornings, which slowed down the maturation process with the both the Merlot and Cabernet Franc being picked early in the morning on October 6th.