2019 Aresenal BDX, Napa Valley Red Wine

Napa Valley

Yet another winery-direct exclusive coming from the superior 2018 vintage, this wine blends complimentary varieties to formulate a phenomenal effort.

Inspired by the rich history of Left Bank Bordeaux wine producers and their terroir driven blends, our newest wine in our growing “arsenal” of reds, flips the script on the model of Cabernet-based blending to highlight the lesser of the five Bordeaux varietals.

Rich, extracted and opulent without pushing the boundaries on ripeness, this wine is consumable upon release with appropriate aeration, yet worthy of cellaring for 10 to 12 years in ideal conditions.

In The Vineyard

Each of the varieties come from unique growing locations where the region supports optimal ripeness in the variety. Nearly equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, supported by Malbec, Petite Verdot and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, were sourced from six key vineyard locations to produce the 2018 vintage: Kenefick Ranch Vineyard (Calistoga), Oso Vineyard (Ink Grade), Sugarloaf Mountain (SE Napa Valley), Somerston Estate (Chiles Valley), Venge’s Oakville Estate (Oakville), and Star Vineyard (Rutherford).

In the Cellar

The fruit was destemmed into a combination of small stainless steel tank fermenters, concrete vats, and open top barriques. Time on skins lasted 14 to 45 days. The fruit was then separated to “free run” and “light press” fractions. The blended wine was aged in 100% new, tight grained, French Oak barrels for 19 months. We employ a variety of cooperages for this Bordeaux blend, including Boutes, Sylvain, Taransaud, Gamba and Alain Foquet. 100% native, spontaneous yeast and malolactic fermentations were also key ingredients in the making of this wine. The gentle use of gravity flow winemaking, whenever possible, is carefully exercised throughout the making of this and every Venge wine. Bottled unfiltered.

 

Wine Technicals & Releases

  • Location:Napa Valley
  • Varietal Description :42% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 11% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Oak Type:100% new, tight-grained, French Oak
  • Barrel Aging :19 Months
  • Wine Status:Current Release
  • Next Release:Spring 2021
  • Release Price :FMV