Vintage 2016 gave us yet another beautiful vintage in the Napa Valley. This is following the fabulous vintages of 2012-2015. Marked by a few late-season heat spells, the wines are as opulent as the 2012s, with the concentration of the 2014s. At Kuleto Estate, three clones of Sangiovese are planted in three separate blocks and each bring a unique character to the blend. The Deloreto selection is perhaps the most unusual with its saturated bright red color, floral notes, and tremendous acidity. The Trentadue and Shafer selections contribute mouth-filling tannin and deeper, darker aromas and flavors. In 2015, we co-fermented a portion of the Sangiovese with some Zinfandel to flesh out the mid-palate and provide some even darker aromatic highlights. Our 2016 Sangiovese is a wonderful representation of warm days on our mountain estate. On the nose, aromas of bright cherry, strawberry and ripe tomato lead to savory notes of tealeaves and dried herbs. The palate offers vibrant acidity and is swarming with flavors of fresh red fruit and clove spice from the Hungarian oak aging. Well-developed tannins fill the mouth and lead to a very smooth finish.