2019 Favia - Red Blend Napa Valley La Magdalena (750ml)

La Magdalena traces back to the earliest days of Favia Erickson Winegrowers, the collaboration between viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson. Both partners bring decades of Napa experience to the project, having worked at estates such as Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Corison, and Ovid before building their own label around a shared belief in gentle, minimal intervention winemaking that lets each site show through.

This blend comes from the Summit Block at Oakville Ranch, high in the eastern red hills of Oakville, a site Favia has farmed organically for over a decade. The 2019 vintage combines roughly sixty percent Cabernet Franc with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon, a pairing the winemakers consider central to what makes Oakville special for these two varieties. After fermentation, the wine spent about twenty-two months in French oak before an additional year resting in bottle, a slow process meant to knit its structure together without dulling its energy.

The wine pours a deep, almost turbid purple and opens with blackberry and blueberry cobbler aromas layered with violets, pencil lead, and baking spice. On the palate it is broad and densely packed, its fine-grained tannins carrying black cherry, Provençal herbs, and espresso through to a long, vibrant finish touched by dark chocolate and toast. Powerful yet polished, it suits braised short rib, a peppercorn-crusted steak, or a rich mushroom and herb tart.