by Calla Lily
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by Calla Lily
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Catherine Bugue chooses the 2012 Audax as Wine of the Week in the April 27 issue of the St. Helena Star:
On the eastern side of Napa Valley’s Howell Mountain lies the serene region of Pope Valley. While this area is not new to wine by any means (Pope Valley Winery was founded in 1897), it is ripe for an adventurous day of discovery. Historic as well as chic, newer wineries can be found here.
Calla Lily’s winemaker is Cary Gott (as in Gott’s Roadside — previously Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, father of Joel Gott and too many winery connections to list here) who works with another of Napa Valley’s long-time winemakers, Kelly Deianni, here.
This wine is their flagship and has the Napa Valley goods: rich texture, deep dark-berried fruits and oak complexity. Cabernet sauvignon dominates the blend with petit verdot, merlot and malbec. Poured at a recent wine tasting event, it created some new, instant fans.
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From the eastern side of Howell Mountain, this estate grown red is a blend of 89.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.3% Cab Franc, 4.7% Merlot, with a pinch of Malbec. Concentrated and opulent, with creamy boysenberry, black tea, and cinnamon spice. With a high tone profile, and a base of graphite, its athletic prowess is deep-rooted. ~
Steeped plum and blackberry fruit shows good density, while light accents of apple wood, singed anise and bramble add range and texture through the finish. Offers solid grip. Best from 2025 through 2036. 508 cases made. ~ Wine Spectator
From a winery in Pope Valley, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Ultimate Red is a slightly herbal, slightly dusty-earthy wine, with decent underlying cassis and black cherry fruit. It’s full-bodied, framed by similarly dusty tannins and some hints of dry cedar on the finish. — Wine Advocate
A selection of top lots from the estate’s Pope Valley holdings, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Audax saw about 50% new French oak, leaving it with some smoky, toasty nuances on the nose. There are also plenty of sage-like herbal notions, plus cassis, plum and vanilla notes. It’s full-bodied, richly textured and creamy-plush in feel, coming
