Smith Wooten Melange Red Blend (2019)

Croze's Napa Valley’s boutique label, Smith Wooton, focuses on small vineyard sites farmed by meticulous and well-respected grape growers throughout Napa Valley. Winemaker Daniel Benton spends a lot of time in the vineyards and shares the same passion for the land as the growers he chooses to source fruit for his wines.

Each small parcel uniquely contributes to the whole picture, and Daniel recognizes each plot’s strengths and highlights those characteristics in the final wine. The Mélange is a red wine produced in a Right Bank Bordeaux Style, and the 2019 vintage is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot aged 30 months in French oak. The wine is perfectly balanced, showy, and complex and drinks beautifully at this price level.