2013 Favia Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

Favia Erickson Winegrowers was started in 2003 by Annie Favia and Andy Erickson. The couple are both Napa Valley winemakers with formidable resumes. Favia worked for John Kongsgaard and David Abreu, among others, and Erickson has been a winemaker at Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle and other wineries. The couple owns vineyards but also sources grapes from Amador County and Napa Valley. They make Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, as well as Viognier and Rhone-style blends. The wines are generally available only via Favia’s mailing list.

Coombsville AVA is one of Napa Valley’s newer appellations, having received its official designation only in 2011. Tucked just to the northeast of Los Carneros and a few minutes’ drive east of downtown Napa, the Coombsville appellation is relatively large at a total of 11,000 acres. The elevation varies from 100 to 1,000 feet, and the climate is moderated by marine breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The main grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.