Don Giovanni by Naggiar Vineyards, Sierra Foothills, CA

Tonight’s Occasion: Don Giovanni by Naggiar Vineyards, Sierra Foothills, CA

29% Cab Sauv, 29% Syrah, 14% Malbec, 14% Maurvedre, 14% Cab Franc

Slightly ripe plum, licorice, touch of butterscotch. A damp rocky essence emanates from the background reminiscent of damp slate after a warm summer rain. Subtle tertiary notes of sweet blueberries and a hint of pinewood.

A touch acid greets the palate lending a bit of good tension. This quickly relaxes over the palate giving way to a subtle wet wood leather which slowly morphs into a subtle oak caramel. The fruit expression is slightly muted and quickly thins out across the palate consisting of plums, blueberries and blackberries. Tannic structure is fairly restrained, dissolved, and fully integrated. It never quite precipitates until after the finish where it slowly coats the entire palate and lips in a fines grained dusty grit. As it opens up I’m picking up more of that rocky dirt.

This is a terroir driven wine. Fairly dry. The Don Giovanni was the result of a collaboration with Naggiar Vineyards. A cross vintage blend of various estate wines. I was given Carte Blanche to create the latest edition of this wine. Working with a lineup of faithful wines in the cellar, and some inspiration from owners Shawn and Mary Naggiar, my goal here was to create a blend where each varietal was expressed, did not dominate, compensated for if not complemented the others. The best part of this project, was that the individual wines were solid if not amazing and could stand alone by themselves. The Malbec is also available as a stand-alone. We will be looking at it later. Naggiar Vineyards has always been a grower first, producing good fruit and this shows in their wines.