2016 Paraduxx (Duckhorn) Atlas Peak

Paraduxx is part of the Duckhorn Wine Company, which owns 13 estates in Napa and Anderson Valleys. Like the Duckhorn, Goldeneye, Migration, Decoy and Canvas Back estates, Paraduxx is partly owned by a private equity firm, though founder Dan Duckhorn remains chairman of the board of Duckhorn Wine Company. Paraduxx opened its new winemaking facility in 2005 on the Silverado Trail, though Duckhorn had been making Paraduxx label wines since the 1990s. Paraduxx was started in order to create blends outside of Duckhorn’s traditional focus on Bordeaux style wines. Since then Paraduxx has made a wide variety of blends using Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Viognier and Chardonnay.

Atlas Peak AVA is perched above the Stags Leap AVA to the northeast of the city of Napa. Elevation ranges from 760 to 2,600 feet, and temperatures are up to 15 degrees cooler in the Atlas Peak vineyards compared with vineyards in the valley. There are 1,500 vineyard acres planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The appellation was named for Atlas Peak, which, at 2,633 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in the area.