90 Wine & Spirits

"A sleek Napa Valley Cabernet, this is bright and black at once, richly oaked with generous blue fruit and baked black cherry flavors hinting at what may come with time. It's dense enough now for a black and blue steak." -90 points Wine & Spirits

Cellar Tracker Darling: scored a median of 92 points in 24 notes! See the reviews here: http://www.cellartracker.com//wine.asp?iWine=341453

WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
"From the out start the 2003 Elu is an amazing wine, there is great depth of both aroma and flavor. The wine begins with hints of cocoa, blackberries and toasted oak. Upon further investigation, one picks up kirsch and black cherries. Elegant, supple and gracefully balanced, and finishing with a lively burst of ripe fruit and supple tannins this one is one not to be missed. Drink now through 2013." -Winery

WINEMAKING:
"2003 has set the stage to be a year to remember in the wine world. A mild winter followed by a wet spring and a hot summer (not to mention an August thunderstorm), all have helped contribute to the development of the grapes this year. A cool, wet spring followed the mild winter and caused a slow down of grape growth. Rain in April and May caused bloom to fall behind previous years by a week and a half. The end of May saw temperatures soaring into the upper 90’s and June was no different. In general, summer saw normal temperatures with a few sporadic heat spells throughout. An atypically mild August pushed harvest back more than two weeks, yet allowed for the fruit to hang longer than passed years. This allowed the flavors optimum time to develop while keeping the sugar levels from spiking (which would cause the fruit to be picked much sooner)."

"The fruit for this red blend was harvested during the cool hours of early morning to maximize fresh flavors. Crush occurred in our cellar prior to fermentation and maceration on the skins, after which the wines were drained and pressed to barrels for maturation. After a year in predominantly French oak, a preliminary blend was created and that blended wine put back into barrel in order to begin the process of marrying the flavors of the component varietals. Another twelve months later, the wines went through final evaluation to complete the blend." -Winery

MORE INFORMATION:
Saint Supery is owned by the Skalli family from Southern France, who had a passion for Bordeaux grapes and wanted to continue this tradition in Napa. The Elu was inspired in part by Michel Rolland, who helped in part to create this wine. All of the wines from St. Supery are estate grown at Dollarhide Ranch Vineyard and it is the largest contiguous vineyard in Napa Valley. Saint Supery is concerned with the sustainability and the biodiversity of the surrounding area. Click here to see more about their sustainability policies.

This wine scored 88 points from Wine Enthusiast. This wine scored a median of 92 points in 24 notes on Cellar Tracker. See this wine here: http://www.cellartracker.com//wine.asp?iWine=341453