Wente Vineyards

The name of this label isn’t just a catchy phrase. Winemaker Karl Wente, 30 years old, has the formidable Wente family behind him, and he launched a separate brand to see what he could do if time and money were no object. That means the vines get all the attention they need, the fermentations are one-ton-sized with hand punch-downs, and the barrels are new, French, and selected based on one of the industry’s most extensive barrel-testing programs. In Napa Valley, this wine would cost two or three times its $60 price tag. Nth Degree wines, however, are available only to Wente’s Wine Club members and to visitors to the winery.

The aromas run to the red side, because 25 percent of the wine is Merlot. There’s also some menthol and nutmet in the back ground, and some slightly damp earth. All good things. Once you get it in your mouth, however, the wine is generously black and blue in its berry flavors, laced with toast and chocolate. The body is full, the tannins coat your teeth, and the raw silk texture runs right up the sides of your mouth. I particularly liked how the wine lifted off into the aftertaste, reprising both the red of the Merlot and the blueberry of the entry.

Reviewed August 2, 2007 by Thom Elkjer.