2022 Schrader Cellars Double Diamond Proprietary Red Blend, Napa Valley California

The 2022 Double Diamond Proprietary Red Wine brings the pedigree of Schrader Cellars and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to a beautifully approachable Napa Valley blend. Inspired by the classic Bordeaux tradition, this wine combines fruit from notable Napa Valley vineyards, including Wappo Hill, Shifflet and Red Hen Vineyard, allowing each site to contribute its own expression of fruit, structure and character. The 2022 vintage produced a small crop of ripe, concentrated fruit, resulting in wines that are generous, vibrant and remarkably inviting.

The wine opens with an expressive perfume of mixed berry compote, cassis, crushed ivy, iron and vanilla bean. On the palate, lush black fruit unfolds into flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, plum and dark chocolate, with espresso, wild herbs and cool wet-stone minerality adding depth. Silky, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity keep the richness beautifully balanced, leading to a long, polished finish.

A Bordeaux-inspired blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the wine was aged in 60% new French oak and 40% second-use Schrader Darnajou French oak. Crafted under the direction of Thomas Rivers Brown, the 2022 Double Diamond is already delicious and approachable while offering the structure and concentration to develop gracefully in the cellar.