Tasting Notes:
2018
With richness and depth of flavor, the 2018 Timeless Napa Valley is the embodiment of patience and attention to detail. Decades of experience at Soda Canyon Ranch allow winemaker Nate Weis and team to highlight the individual merits of each block. Combining the strongest lots from each resulted in a refined and harmonious bottling.
In 2018, the diurnal shift at Soda Canyon Ranch produced a darker, lusher fruit profile of Cabernet Sauvignon. Simultaneously, the overnight recovery periods resulted in expressive and refined Merlot, giving the wine a pleasant profile of bright, red fruit. With an extended harvest window, the signature, plush density and structure of Petit Verdot is also prevalent in the final blend. Cabernet Franc thrived in 2018 with its predilection for the cooler soils and the climate of blocks 5, 6, 16, 20 and 21—areas we call the Transition Zone and Hardpan Alley. The variety’s floral and tobacco-like aromatics are accentuated, and its more aggressive nature for back-end tannins tamed.
Once blended, the 2018 vintage rested in French oak barrels for 16 months, developing flavors of vanilla and baking spice. Velvety tannins dance across the palate of bright and lingering cassis. With a smooth finish, this is a comforting wine of elegance and depth—a sophisticated expression of the sedate summer.
2019
This opulent wine has a broad and balanced mid-palate, notes of vanilla and blueberry, a dried floral character and chalky tannins. Anise and cherry lift the palate to a beautiful, lingering finish. In both aromatics and palate, this is an elegant vintage worthy of cellaring for years to come.
The winter of 2019 was marked by cold, foggy days in Napa Valley. Well-drained soils of Soda Canyon Ranch and steady, purposeful farming decisions mitigated the rainy and wet conditions as they persisted into spring. After months of ever-shifting weather, the vines were greeted by a consistent, warm and dry summer plus a mild harvest season, resulting in bright and ethereal fruit. Once blended, the 2019 vintage rested in French oak barrels for 16 months.
2020
A marriage of fruit from our brightest blocks, this wine has flavors of red raspberry, licorice and notes of fresh flowers kissed by a warm summer sun. There is a silky texture on the palate that unfolds with plushness and balanced weight, and the lingering finish is accentuated with a vibrant blackberry return. Well-integrated and nuanced, this wine is the personification of determination and beauty.
The 2020 vintage yielded a stunningly elegant wine that will be remembered and enjoyed for many years to come. The vintage began as it ended—with a consistency of dry, warm weather. Despite cooler temperatures of early spring, subsequent seasons were more of the same. Through an optimistic lens, the soaring temperatures in August resulted in beautiful concentration of flavor, especially for the Cabernet Sauvignon variety. The resiliency of our estate property shone through, thanks to meticulous stewardship and dedicated years of precision farming. As a result, we continue to craft wines with enduring elegance. The 2020 Timeless Napa Valley is a true reflection of everything good that can come from Soda Canyon Ranch.
3x750ml bottles
