Description
Located on the historic Silverado Trail in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District, Black Stallion Estate Winery pays homage to the rich history of the 32-acre estate which was once home to the Silverado Equestrian Center. The property was purchased in 2010 by the Indelicato family, a fourth-generation family-owned company founded in 1924. Sourcing from the most prestigious vineyards, the winery is committed to making only the most expressive wines.
TASTING NOTES
Our Limited Release Napa Valley Red Wine Blend emulates that of a Left Bank Bordeaux blend, but with a character profile that is truly Napa Valley. The main component of this blend is Cabernet Sauvignon representing lovely tannin structure that is rounded out with Merlot and Malbec. The Cabernet Franc adds structure and acidity, and a small percentage of Petite Verdot brings hints of violet notes. The aromas are raspberry, cola, and black currant. The flavors are Cherry Cordial, ripe strawberry, and Grenadine. The tannins are broad, medium weight, and smooth. The finish is long and elegant. —Winemaker Ralf Holdenried
GROWING SEASON
The 2019 vintage in Napa Valley was another example of fantastic growing conditions that lead to prime quality grapes. The weather in January/February was cool, not extremely cold, and extended a bit later than usual. The cooler weather caused the grapevines to break bud a couple weeks behind normal. We expected the late budbreak and cooler weather to slow and extend the ripening period and result in a later than normal harvest. In May, there were some storms that passed through Napa Valley and delivered a significant amount of water to the vineyards allowing the vines to grow with immense vigor. Berry sizes were a bit larger than normal and lead to a large harvest, almost as much as the huge 2018 harvest. As harvest approached, the weather warmed, and ripening accelerated. We started Harvest about 1 week later than in 2018 and quality was very promising. We finished the year with our tanks and barrels full of incredible wines.
VINEYARD
The 2019 vintage is made from grapes grown from primarily Valley fruit that is complemented by Mountain fruit. The Valley fruit includes vineyards from the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley and Yountville. This fruit offers a softer, lusher, and smooth texture that allows red wines to be enjoyed younger. The Mountain fruit includes fruit from Atlas Peak; these grapes are known for big structure and concentration.
WINEMAKING
Our grapes are handpicked during the early morning hours at optimal ripeness. Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit is hand sorted before it is destemmed into small fermentation tanks. After a few days of cold soaking, the must is gently warmed, and yeast was added to initiate fermentation. We ‘pump-over’ many times during the 14-21-day fermentation, allowing for maximum extraction of fruit flavor, color, and tannin from the skins. We then allowed the free run wine to gravity flow from the skins directly to barrel. The skins were gently pressed, the wine going to barrels to mature separately. Portions of wine were allowed to mature for 18 months in oak barrels (66% new French Oak) before being blended and prepared for bottling.
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Barrel Aging | 18 months |
| Alcohol % | 15.0 |
| Size | 1.5 L |
