Beau Vigne Amendment XXI Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2022

The Beau Vigne Amendment XXI Proprietary Red 2022 opens with inviting aromas of ripe blackberries, black cherries, and plums, accompanied by subtle hints of baking spices, vanilla, and toasted oak. On the palate, the wine is rich and concentrated, offering bold flavors of dark fruit, including blackberry and cassis, complemented by notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and a touch of mocha. The mouthfeel is full-bodied yet velvety, with a smooth integration of tannins that provide structure and balance. The presence of Petit Verdot contributes floral and herbal notes, while the Cabernet Franc adds an elegant peppery spice to the blend. The wine’s finish is long and satisfying, with lingering dark fruit flavors and a well-rounded, integrated oak character. Serve cool at 60°-64° F. This wine has the potential to age beautifully, evolving over the next decade and beyond, developing even greater complexity as it develops. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2035.

Pair this wine with grilled steaks or roasted lamb, where the wine's depth and structure can complement the savory richness of the meat. It also pairs beautifully with charcuterie and aged cheeses like Gruyère or Aged Gouda. For a more adventurous pairing, try it alongside wild mushrooms, truffle dishes, or even a hearty beef stew. The wine’s layers of dark fruit and spice make it an ideal companion for flavorful, rich meals.

Beau Vigne Winery is a prestigious Napa Valley estate known for producing premium, small-lot wines that capture the essence of the region's diverse terroir. Founded with a focus on sustainability and minimal intervention, Beau Vigne crafts wines that reflect the full expression of Napa Valley's exceptional microclimates and soils. By sourcing fruit from hand-selected vineyards, the winery ensures that each vintage is a true reflection of the land’s natural character. The Amendment XXI Proprietary Red Wine 2022 is an example of the winery’s commitment to excellence, blending Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc to create a complex and beautifully structured red. With sustainable farming practices at its core, Beau Vigne remains a leader in producing high-quality Napa wines.

The vineyards that contribute to the Amendment XXI wine benefit from Napa Valley’s Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool nights, providing ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen fully while retaining their natural acidity. The blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, with their varying ripening cycles and flavor profiles, results in a wine with depth, complexity, and a refined balance.

Meritage (rhymes with heritage) is California’s answer to Bordeaux. It is also a term that was born in the late 1980’s to describe New World blends that are made from traditional noble red Bordeaux varietals. Therefore, a meritage wine is essentially a Bordeaux blend of three or more traditional red Bordeaux grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc the most notable participants. Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenère, and the exceedingly rare Saint Macaire and Gros Verdot are other possible players. However, there are no legal or proscribed percentages for each grape variety in a meritage wine, with the one exception: No one varietal can exceed 90% of the blend. Consequently, producers are permitted to vary how much of each varietal finds its way into the final offering, much as Bordeaux châteaux vary their cépages or blends depending upon the estate’s desired style of wine and the vagaries of each individual vintage.

On the other hand, a proprietary blend is a winery’s unique and often special selection of two or more grape varieties in varying percentages. Some proprietary blends may also be meritage selections but only if they are made with noble Bordeaux grape varieties and meet all of the criteria to bear the meritage moniker. A proprietary blend is a one of kind, and wineries will often give their proprietary blend a trademarked name, such as Amendment XXI for Beau Vigne’s delicious Proprietary Red.