By Palazzo Wine
2013 'Right Bank' Reserve Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Winemaker Notes
It all started here, with this wine - the Reserve 'Right Bank' Proprietary Red Wine. Before there was a Palazzo Cabernet Franc made for the French Laundry or a Palazzo Cuvee Blanc made from 'crazy 65+-year-old' Semillon vines, there was my first vintage of Palazzo 2003 'Right Bank' Proprietary Red Wine. And it was this wine that caught the attention of top sommeliers and chefs across the country.

The Vintage
The new Palazzo 2013 Reserve 'Right Bank' Proprietary Red Wine continues in the 'style and legacy' of the previous ten vintages that have come before it. And it is with tremendous pride that I'm releasing this new vintage - the 11th offering of my original Palazzo 2013 Reserve 'Right Bank' Proprietary Red Wine to you.
Release Date: October 1st, 2017

Varietal Notes
As always, Merlot makes up the lion's share of the blend, giving the wine its sheer power and strength, silky texture, and beautiful layers of rich cherry and blackberry fruit. The Cabernet Franc adds brightness, acidity, and floral notes to the wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure and character, with hints of dark chocolate, earth/minerality, cocoa, and espresso bean to the finish.

Sensory Details
The wine has exceptional character and beauty. Floral and intriguing on the nose, complex and rich with delicious layers of red and black fruit on the palate, balanced throughout with good acidity, minerality, and structure. In essence a great food wine.
Nose: Beautiful aromas of red cherry and blackberry fruit. Hints of cocoa powder and espresso bean. Floral notes of violets and wild cassis, with subtle tones of vanilla, cedar, and spice.
Palate: Rich, plush mouthfeel, with a fabulous velvety texture. Layers of crushed red cherries and sweet blackberry fruit. Hints of dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Full-bodied with excellent structure and acidity. Soft, sweet tannins with good grip and weight. Complex with layers of rich fruit and hints of earth and minerality laced throughout. Wonderfully balanced.
Finish: Bold, long finish with great acidity. Rich and complex, with hints of dark chocolate and espresso.

Pairing Suggestions
Bone-in ribeye, grilled veal chops, New York strip, Italian food, or a delicious gourmet Wagyu burger.
[Information provided by Matador Vino]

2013 Palazzo Wine Proprietary Red Right Bank
USA, California, North Coast, Napa Valley
Rating: 95
Producer: Palazzo Wine
Color: Red
Type: Table
Sweetness: Dry
Variety: Proprietary Blend
Drink Date: 2019 - 2040
Issue Date: 27th Aug 2015
Source: 220, The Wine Advocate
Reviewed by Robert Parker, Jr.
Given the fact that the 2013 had been in bottle only five weeks when I tasted it, some allowance should be made by readers that it may have been somewhat less expressive, but it certainly strutted its stuff. A blend of 68% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has beautifully fragrant, fresh earth, coffee, chocolate, blackberry and cassis notes, a brawny, vigorous, uplifting mouthfeel, a tightly coiled texture, and moderately intense but sweet tannin. The purity, freshness and vigor are all there, but the wine still resembles a barrel sample, as one might expect. Forget it for another 4-5 years and drink it over the following two decades.