2019 Favia - Red Blend Napa Valley La Magdalena (750ml)
La Magdalena is one of the earliest wines Annie Favia and Andy Erickson made together, and the two still describe it as their most personal bottling. It comes from the same collaboration that built Favia Erickson Winegrowers into one of Napa's most closely watched small producers. Nearly all of it goes directly to the winery's mailing list, so bottles rarely show up outside of the Bay Area.
La Magdalena is a blend of roughly sixty percent Cabernet Franc and forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the Summit Block at Oakville Ranch high in the eastern red hills. The vines are farmed organically and picked at full ripeness, then the two varieties are fermented and shepherded through maceration together rather than blended after the fact. The wine spends about twenty-two months in barrel, followed by another year resting in bottle before release.
The wine opens with blackberry and blueberry, lifted by violet and pencil lead, and settles into a full-bodied palate of velvety, creamy tannins. The long finish carries hints of mocha, dark chocolate, and toasted bread. Pour it with grilled leg of lamb, aged manchego, or dark chocolate truffles.