Wilson Foreigner Rancho Chimiles Napa Valley Valdiguie 2016
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Winemaker Notes
Bright floral aromatics, with tart cherry, plum and dried herb characteristics on the palate, and lively acidity on the finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from a family estate in the eastern wilds of Napa Valley, this small-production red is fermented in a concrete tank and aged in neutral oak. It retains ebullient freshness and focus, its fruit a mix of grape, cherry and plum. Around the edges are floral aromas and superb mineral characteristics. Editors’ Choice
Other Vintages
2017-
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Enthusiast - Decanter
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James
Suckling
David grew up on the family ranch, Rancho Chimiles, and resides there now with his wife, Christine, and their two children. Rancho Chimiles is located in the Wooden Valley area of Napa and is home to the fruit you have tasted in many Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Pahlmeyer, Favia, The Prisoner, Cruse Wine Company, and other wines.
Chris and Suzaan are the proprietors and winemakers of Alheit Vineyards which is based throughout the Western Cape of South Africa, where they reside with their two children.
The two couples worked to gain experience at some of the most prestigious vineyards and winery estates in the world. Then, on the ten-year anniversary of that harvest in South Africa, Chris picked up the phone to tell David it was time for the foursome to create a label together, and Wilson Foreigner was born.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.