From cool Coombsville, in the southern part of Napa Valley just outside of Napa proper, Baldacci Vineyards crafts their elevated Ruppert Cabernet Sauvignon ($150). I am a fan of Coombsville, specifically for small lot, single-vineyard wines like Baldacci specializes in, as the region’s warm sunshine-filled days give way to cool evenings through the night, allowing for a very long growing season that delivers nuanced wines with character. The wines from Coombsville aren’t as big and showy as some produced in Napa, the terroir shouldn’t allow it, as those cool nights capture freshness, creating balance with refinement, wrapped in fruit-filled personality.

The tiny production (less than 500 cases) Ruppert Cabernet Sauvignon opens with key red and black fruit characteristics of blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry with subtle floral and herbal notes. There is a softness to the palate, balancing the structured character, layering blackberry, Mission fig, and dried cherry, mingling with a mineral note of flint and pencil lead, with a touch of earthy dried leather. Created to honor winery president, Michael Baldacci’s grandfather,  Paul Ruppert Baldacci, a man Micheal notes was both tender and gruff, much like the wine with power and grace. #Cheers