2023 Borne Blend St Helena
St. Helena, the beating heart of Napa Valley. St. Helena sits in a narrow neck of the valley where the mountains close in on both sides, creating a warmer diurnal swing and a soil mosaic of volcanic ash, alluvial gravel, and well-drained loam. The combination gives us uncommon depth and precision, it's a winemakers dream terroir.
This is a Bordeaux-style blend: half Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and dark fruit, thirty percent Cabernet Franc bringing that signature floral lift and graphite minerality, and twenty percent Merlot to round the mid-palate and soften the approach. Together they're three voices that sing in this beautiful operetta.
The wine spent two years in 60% new French oak, which weaves in layers of cedar, baking spice, and mocha without letting the wood do the talking.
In the glass it's a deep, brooding purple with a ruby rim. The nose leads with cassis and dark cherry, then lifts into dried lavender and pencil shaving — classic St. Helena graphite. On the palate, black plum and cocoa arrive first, followed by espresso and tobacco on the long, mineral close. The tannins are firm but polished — this is a wine you can enjoy now, and one that will only grow more interesting over the next 15 - 20 years.
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