Experience Trail 3150 Single Vineyard Red 2018
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
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Wong
Wilfred
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Blend: 34% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A nearly equal blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the Vale Vineyard, this wine is perfumed, structured and nicely fruity, with an earthy backbone. Rich yet balanced, it shows a depth of flavor that never gets overly fussy.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on close to an even split of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec, all from the Oak Knoll District in the southern part of the valley, the 2018 Red Blend Trail 3150 offers a complex, medium-bodied, floral style that carries lots of red and blue fruits, notes of menthol, spring flowers, and cedar, light tannins, a juicy spine of acidity, and a great finish. It's a pretty, elegant wine to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
Rich, savory aromas of stewed black cherries, rosemary and cloves. Chocolate and walnut, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, smooth tannins. Easy-going. Drink or hold.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Experience Trail 3150 Proprietary Red is nicely layered and well-built. TASTING NOTES: This wine delivers aromas and flavors of black fruit, savory spices, and oaky notes. Enjoy it with Argentine-style grilled beef. (Tasted: April 14, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Experience is the dream of Catherine and Travis Vale. Travis was born and raised in the Russian River Valley of California’s Sonoma Coast. He first worked a harvest in 1998, falling in love with the sights and sounds of a working winery. The daughter of a master brewer, Catherine was born and raised in London.
The two met in 2001 while both were traveling in New Zealand. Travis was furthering his education in the cooler climate growing regions of Marlborough. Catherine was finishing up a six-month tour of Southeast Asia and Australia. The tour bus they shared was aptly named the Kiwi Experience New Zealand. “That chance meeting far from our homes was a turning point in our lives,” says Catherine.
In 2010, they purchased an 8-acre vineyard estate in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, now the source of Trail 3150 Red Wine Blend, and launched a new wine brand.
Naming the fledgling wine Experience seemed a perfect fit.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.