Patel Winery
In the early 1970s, Founder Raj Patel moved from India to Northern California. Majoring in BioChem at U.C. Davis, Raj was deeply influenced by the ferment of budding winemakers all around him and his internship at Robert Mondavi Winery. “I developed a deep respect for both wines and the winemaking process,” says Raj. Although he left for a career in finance, he became an avid wine collector. Then, in the mid-2000s, he decided to pursue his wine dream and created PATEL Winery.
The fabulous wines we featured:
2011 Napa Valley Red Wine
- 91 points, Connoisseurs’ Guide
- Just 385 cases made
- Final blend: 65% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon 11% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes: In keeping with Right Bank tradition, Merlot makes up the majority of this offering. Sourced from Tourmaline Vineyards in the Coombsville AVA, the Merlot gives the wine its lush and elegant mouthfeel, and wonderful layers of rich cherry and black fruit. Winemaker Kian Tavakoli added Cabernet Sauvignon for its structure and long, rich finish; Malbec for its floral aroma and dark fruit flavors; and a touch of Petit Verdot for color depth and a tannin anchor.
2013 Rutherford, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- 93 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: “Sweet, round, and succulent, with gorgeous depth to match its opulent personality. Raspberry jam, wildflowers, and mint are all nicely delineated throughout..."
- 93 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: “Pretty wine with subtle aromas and flavors of currants, chocolate, and walnuts that follow to a medium, compact palate. Ripe and silky tannins.”
- Pairs with: Rib-eye or sirloin steak served medium rare; slow-braised beef, venison or ox cheeks; roasted or grilled lamb; Portobello or porcini mushrooms; or aged cheddar or Gouda cheese.
Tasting Notes: The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer George III Vineyard exhibits terrific suppleness along with explosive fruit, sweet tannin, and it is very complex. Despite all the rich fruit, the wine is well balanced. This is a classic Rutherford wine: the aroma and flavor show what’s become known as “Rutherford Dust.”
Winemaker's Notes
2011 Napa Valley Red Wine: Clusters were hand sorted, then de-stemmed, berry by berry. Fruit was cold-soaked before fermentation. The wine was then aged in a combination of French oak barrels from two artisan coopers. The finished wine is a beautiful Bordeauxvarietal that is distinctly Napa Valley in expression.
2013 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon: Fruit for this wine was selected from the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Harvest was one of the earliest in recent history, with above-average yields. A warm, dry spring brought early bud break, but except for one heat spike, temperatures were optimal, resulting in notably healthy vines through veraison and ripening. Cooler, sunny weather throughout October extended the hang time, allowing sugar levels to remain steady while flavors continued to mature. Arriving in small picking lugs from the vineyards, the clusters were hand sorted, de-stemmed, and hand sorted again, berry by berry. The fruit was gently pressed after an extended maceration and the wine was moved to barrel for secondary fermentation. The wine aged for 19 months with minimal racking in rare French Artisan oak: Darnajou, Ana Selection barrels, 100% new. After multiple blending trials, the final blend was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Napa Valley
Raj M. Patel
Julien Fayard