2012 Marciano Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Marciano Estate in St. Helena has a pedigree steeped in Napa Valley history. From its start in the late 19th century, when it was purchased by a wealthy San Francisco family, to its current owner, Maurice Marciano, a co-founder of the highly successful Guess apparel brand, the estate has weathered phylloxera, fires and multiple changes in ownership. In the late 1950s the estate was sold to the Christian Brothers, who used it for a Catholic retreat, and in the 1990s new owners planted grapevines and refurbished vineyards. In 2006 Marciano bought the estate and hired a dream team of Napa wine stars. Dave Abreu is vineyard manager, Andy Erickson is consulting winemaker and Morgan Maurèze is full-time winemaker. Marciano’s debut vintage was the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate makes Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends and Sauvignon Blanc. The limited production wines are generally available only by mailing list. Reviewers have rated the wines in the mid- to high 90s.

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

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.