Gemstone Estate Ten 2006 Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Wine Advocate

Limited edition. Celebrating the 10th release of the vineyard's flagship, this also got the attention of Robert Parker Jr. in a big way: "It exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of subtle new oak interwoven with black currants, smoke, licorice and a hint of spring flowers. The wine is full-bodied, with excellent density, admirable balance, and fine purity, a hallmark of this estate. Very little of this wine makes it outside of top restaurants. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years. Score: 93 - Robert Parker, December 2009.
Wine Spectator
Savory herb, dried currant, black licorice and mineral flavors are tight, full-bodied, well-proportioned and structured. Ends with firm tannins, so best to cellar short term. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2011 through 2016. Score: 91 - James Laube, November 2009.

Type	Red
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Vintage	2006
Bottle size	750mL
Alcohol content	15.1%
Appellation	California – Napa Valley - Yountville
Wine Advocate	93
Wine Enthusiast	--
Wine Spectator	91
Other	n/a

Philippe Melka, winemaker
Philippe spent much of his early life in Bordeaux, receiving his geology degree in 1989 from the University of Bordeaux. In his final year of study, he took a wine course purely out of sheer curiosity, and from that moment on realized his passion - and future - lay in the world of wine.   In 1991 he completed a masters program in Agronomy and Oenology under the direction of Professor Sequin, a noted specialist with regard to terroir. Philippe was fascinated by the relationship between soil and wine quality and his appreciation of the study of soil agronomy continues to this day in his work as a viticulturist as well as winemaker.  Philippe set out for the New World to discover its wines and expand his knowledge in the process. In 1991-1992, he worked for Dominus in both winemaking and vineyard management. He split 1992 between working harvest at Chittering Estate in Western Australia and returning to Dominus to study grape maturation and picking times.  In 1993, Philippe studied soils at Badia a Coltibuono in Italy as well as the Sangiovese varietal. In the spring of that year he was once again on French soil, joining the J. P. Moueix company in Libourne, where he stayed until returning to Napa Valley in 1994 to devote himself to winemaking, viticulture, and continuing soil studies.  Fifteen years later Philippe is one of the most sought after winemakers and viticulturalists in California. His extended family of wineries represents a diverse range of vineyard sites and soil types, from cool-climate, shallow, volcanic soils to deep, rich, warm micro-climate clay. Philippe's wines express the voice of the soil as much as that of the winemaker.