2023 La Reina, Estate Bottled
Wine Notes
- Vintage:
- 2023
- Appellation:
- St. Helena, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes:
The color is ruby red with violet hues in the meniscus. Bright black fruit aromas begin with black currant, licorice, clove, and cherry with nuances of allspice, cinnamon, and graphite. Flavors begin with cassis, blackberry, and espresso followed by dark baker’s chocolate, and lingonberry. Distinctive spicy French oak appears up front but integrates subtly with airing in the glass. The palate is complex, silky, rich, and layered with good acidity in the finish for aging. This wine is elegant and very drinkable now.
Vineyards:
The Calafia Estate Vineyard is located in the center of the St. Helena appellation on Fulton Lane. The soil is Bale Loam and contains a fair amount of cobble from the Napa River, which increases our drainage. The vineyard was planted in 2000 and one block was replanted in 2004 due to the discovery of Leaf Roll II in Cabernet Clone 337. Currently the vineyard is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 20% Malbec and 10% Petit Verdot. All our clones are from the ENTAV certification program in France. Our day-to-day manager is the intrepid Francisco Cirigo, who has been our watchful caretaker since the vineyard was planted in 2000!
Vintage Notes:
The 2023 growing season started out with a whopping 54” of rain; 3 times the 2022 season. It rained into the spring, so flowering and fruit set were late. Set was finalized in May and revealed a large crop. Summer and fall weather was “normal” and harvest was smooth. In retrospect, many vintners view the 2023 wines as the best in a decade!
Fermentation & Aging:
The grapes were harvested on October 21st, two weeks later than 2022. The sugar was 26.1° Brix, the acid was 5.7 grams/liter and the pH was 4.07. The grapes were destemmed then placed on the sorting belt to remove underripe berries and “stem jacks”. Fermentation took place in a stainless steel temperature-controlled tank and punched down (pigéage) 3 times/day. Pressing was very gentle, using a basket press. The aging regime was 45% new and 55% once-filled French oak, using thin stave Chateau-Ferré style with medium toast for 26 months. Our unique barrel flavor created by our favorite artisanal cooper seamlessly integrates with the wine, lending fine-grain tannins for aging. The wine was bottled in February 2026.