Planted by David Abreu and Andy Erickson in 2000, the Ovid Vineyard on Pritchard Hill in Napa Valley is a source of some of the greatest wines in Napa Valley. How much I would love to jump 20 years into the future, to taste what will to come from this great site with more age of the vines. Even today, from just five year old vines, the wines are profound!
Since 2005, the first vintage at Ovid, winemaker Andy Erickson has crafted some experimental wines (one in 2005, and two in 2006) from grapes that didn’t fit the cuvée of the premium wine. These so called experimental wines also shows the greatness of this vineyard.
2005 Experiment No K 1.5 / 91 -92
This lovely wine is a blend of 73.5 percent Cabernet Franc, 21.9 percent Petit Verdot, and just s splash of Merlot (3.5 percent) and Cabernet Sauvignon (1.1 percent). All grapes are harvested in the vineyards of Ovid, up at Pritchard Hill. It’s not really a second label to the magnificent Ovid, although the experiment wines are made from grapes not used for the top wine, it’s definitely a wine with its own personality.
At first when poured into my Bordeaux shaped glass från Riedel, and even decanted almost two hours earlier, it was youthful, a bit closed and also quite oaky and fiery from its (as told on the label) 14.5 percent of alcohol. These negative notes disappeared after a while, and paved the way for a great nose, stuffed with dark ripe berries like cassis and blueberries, a kind of floral notes also to be found in the Ovid bottling, and also lovely nuances of grilled red bell pepper and just a hint of grass. On the palate, it’s rich and silky, the mineral notes that derives from the poor, red volcanic soil adds complexity in the relatively long taste, and as in the nose, it’s packed with dark ripe berries, yet elegant.
Drink it 2010-2020.
Since 2005, the first vintage at Ovid, winemaker Andy Erickson has crafted some experimental wines (one in 2005, and two in 2006) from grapes that didn’t fit the cuvée of the premium wine. These so called experimental wines also shows the greatness of this vineyard.
2005 Experiment No K 1.5 / 91 -92
This lovely wine is a blend of 73.5 percent Cabernet Franc, 21.9 percent Petit Verdot, and just s splash of Merlot (3.5 percent) and Cabernet Sauvignon (1.1 percent). All grapes are harvested in the vineyards of Ovid, up at Pritchard Hill. It’s not really a second label to the magnificent Ovid, although the experiment wines are made from grapes not used for the top wine, it’s definitely a wine with its own personality.
At first when poured into my Bordeaux shaped glass från Riedel, and even decanted almost two hours earlier, it was youthful, a bit closed and also quite oaky and fiery from its (as told on the label) 14.5 percent of alcohol. These negative notes disappeared after a while, and paved the way for a great nose, stuffed with dark ripe berries like cassis and blueberries, a kind of floral notes also to be found in the Ovid bottling, and also lovely nuances of grilled red bell pepper and just a hint of grass. On the palate, it’s rich and silky, the mineral notes that derives from the poor, red volcanic soil adds complexity in the relatively long taste, and as in the nose, it’s packed with dark ripe berries, yet elegant.
Drink it 2010-2020.
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