Wine Last Sold on: October 31, 2012
Gamble Family Vineyards
Featured Wine:
2007 Paramount Bordeaux Blend
| Varietal: | Red Blend |
| Region: | California: Napa Valley |
| Total Allocation: | Ultra-Limited |
| Avg. Price: | $75.00 |
| Wine Spies: | [REDACTED] |
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SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
Mission Codename: The Sure Thing
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- After a protracted surveillance, infiltrate Gamble Family Vineyards - and go right for their flagship red blend, 2007 Paramount. Secure every available bottle, for our demanding Operatives
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Jim Close
Final Assessment
Another stunning wine from the stellar, 96 Point 2007 vintage (Rober Parker, Jr.), today’s 2007 Gamble Family Vineyards Paramount is a delicious wine of real elegance and depth.
This wine has been carefully handmade from some of Napa’s oldest and most distinguished vineyards. Rutherford Merlot, Oakville hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc from an old St. Helena vineyard & Petite Verdot from the slopes of Mt. St. Helena. It has been given the time it needed to become a rare & elegantly-styled wine of great depth and character. 19 months in small French barrels have contributed to the beauty of this wonderful blend.
This wine is living proof that the result is greater than the sum of its parts.
Tasting Profile
A very deep, dark and secretive-looking wine, revealing itself with the first swirl showing a depth of color that clings to the glass, building anticipation.
Concentrated aromas of blackberry and black cherry give clues to the smoky flavors to follow on the palate. Black currents, leather, spice and violets round out the nose.
With great elegance and power this wine is finely balanced, steming from years in barrel and bottle. Rich tannins fill your mouth in harmony with rich fruit.
A very complex approach of dusty blackberry, smokey plum & cigar box essence fills your mouth. Using the finest French oak barrels have allowed this great wine to age elegantly, protected by silky tannins and great depth of flavor.
An amazing flavor packed finish that continues to thrill - long after it passes across the palette.
What the Winery Says
Vineyards
Our premier Red Wine is a bold blend of fruit from several distinguished Napa Valley vineyards. These sites have been chosen as they have historically produced exceptional grapes, all unique and expressive of their particular place within the valley. At the core of the blend is Family Home Cabernet Sauvignon from our Oakville knoll-top vineyard; CC Ranch Merlot from the alluvial soils of Rutherford; Cabernet Franc from Varozza Vineyard, a low yielding old St Helena site; and Petit Verdot from Speedy Creek on the slopes of Mount St Helena.
Winemaking
The four varieties were all harvested, fermented and aged separately. The Rutherford Merlot ripened first and was harvested on August 27; the Oakville Cabernet ripened last and was harvested on October 3. All fruit was lightly crushed and allowed to soak at a cool 53F for 3 days. As the musts warmed, multiple strains of yeast were employed to improve mouthfeel and overall complexity. At dryness the musts were lightly pressed and each wine transferred to 60 gallon barrels for malolactic fermentation and the 19 month aging process. Outstanding as these individual wines were alone, judiciously blended they came together to create a wine of heightened complexity and interest.
Winemaker Jim Close’s Tasting Notes
Bright fruit aromas of cherry and dusty blackberry together with leather, chocolate and a savory hint of thyme. Medium bodied with good acidity and silky tannins. Flavors of plum, cranberry, pomegranate, clove and spicy licorice. Savor the persistent flavor-filled finish.
Technical Data
Composition: 38% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Napa Valley
Oak: 41% new French oak Seguin Moreau, Remond, Sylvain and Bel Air
Cellaring: Nineteen months in barrel
Alcohol: 14.4%
TA: 0.62g/100ml
pH: 3.53
About the Winery
“My most lasting memory of childhood is dirt. Playing in dirt. Walking in dust behind the tractor. Wearing out our jean seats sliding down shale hillsides. Wandering aimlessly on foot, horseback and mini-bike all summer long—enjoying everything the dirt and our climate gives to life.”
His boyhood days often began before sunrise; herding cattle, working irrigation lines and emulating older ranchers and farmers from the back of the pack. Even when he left the valley, attending college, Tom held fast to his roots, where the Gamble family first came now four generations ago.
Tom purchased his first vineyard in 1981. He is the first member of his family to make wine, but hopes he is not the last to work the land. Gamble Family Vineyards is his legacy for future generations, inspired by the hard work of generations past.
Tom Gamble is a farmer first, which is fitting. Good wine begins on the vine.
