Hailed as one of the best vintages of the decade, this 2013 Proprietary Red from Bryant Estate is showing its potential. “Completely sourced from David Abreu’s three vineyards, Madrona, Thorevilos and Howell Mountain, the Bettina Proprietary Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine offers up sweet notes of white chocolate, espresso, blackberry, and cassis. There are some floral notes as well in this medium to full-bodied, lush, sexy wine.” As the Napa Valley Vintners explained, the 2013 vintage brought a warm, dry spring brought early bud break, helped with canopy vigor and berry size, and created ideal conditions for flowering and fruit set under sunny skies. Except for one heat spike in late June/early July, temperatures were consistently in the zone for optimal vine activity, resulting in notably healthy vines as fruit went through veraison and started ripening.

Despite all the newcomers planting their roots on Pritchard Hill, a special geographic location resting above Oakville, Bryant Estate remains one of the best. As it overlooks Lake Hennessey, their vineyard faces northwest and has about 60% morning sun and 40% afternoon sun with a cooling effect from the western winds. Since their first vintage in 1992, they have been working with David Abreu as their vineyard manager with Michel Rolland as their consulting oenologist. KK Carothers now leads their winemaking team.