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Wine Enthusiast 12 Barrel Select
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Wine & Spirits -Aug 2015
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94 Virage 2012 Barrel Select Red (Napa Valley)
A delightfully elegant wine, the majority
of it Merlot, this exudes cassis, pomegranate and cedar. Soft, refined
tannins make it a pleasure to enjoy, made from a minuscule single-barrel
lot, the grapes sourced from the hillsides of Carneros. It finishes in a
refinement of dark chocolate. --V.B. (11/1/15)
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BORDEAUX-VARIETY BLENDS
92 Virage 2011 Napa Valley.
Emily Richer started off as a cook in Napa Valley before transitioning to wine, establishing her label based on a collection of vineyard sources in the northeastern corner of Carneros, a relatively cool sector of the valley. This 2011, mostly cabernet franc (69%) and merlot (27%), achieved a pure cassis refinement, a tight and elastic texture that carries a glow of red fruit. The flavors are open and clear, the wine approachable now and balanced to mature well. --Joshua Greene, August 2015
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Wine Enthusiast 11 Red Blend
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Wine Spectator 14 Rose'
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91 Virage 2011 Red Blend (Napa Valley)
Made in what the producer calls a
Right-Bank Tradition, this red wine combines 69% Cabernet Franc with 27%
Merlot and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon to classy, restrained effect. Perfumed
in cedar and pencil shavings, it has fine, integrated tannins and an
elegance to the lengthy, cassis-kissed finish. - -V. B. (11/1/15)
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2014 Dry Rose' of Cabernet Franc
88 Focused and dusty, offering notes of cherry, mineral and herb. A hint of tannin emerges on the finish. -Tim Fish, 8/31/15
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Wine Enthusiast 14 Rose'
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Check Please! Apr2015
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Dry Rose' of Cabernet Franc 2014 Napa Valley
87 "A direct-pressed wine, this has a pretty copper-pink color. It is
intense in cranberry and subtle herbes de Provence, with notions of
fresh-cut grass and tart Meyer lemon. Young, it needs time in the glass
to reveal its complexity and range of flavor. The finish is dry and
succulent on the palate."— (9/1/2015)
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2013 Virage, Rosé, Napa Valley, California. "Being a pink wine lover, I was impressed by the elegance and purity of this rosé. Its deep salmon hue is reminscent of great rosés of southern France. Admiring the color, however, is only the beginning. Mineral aromas and underlying complexity make it a serious drink, but the mouthwatering, succulent flavors make it seriously fun to sip. Serve as an apertif on Friday, alongside Sunday brunch, or simply with Tuesday take-out." --Leslie Sbrocco, Season 10 Permiere, April 2015
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Wine Enthusiast 13 Rosé
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Wine Spectator 12 Rosé
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BEST of 2014! Dry Rose' of Cabernet Franc 2013 Napa Valley
"A direct-pressed rosé, this wine is dry, light and under 13% alcohol.... it offers touches of grass and herby minerality, faint swirls of white peach playful on the tongue. Served chilled, this makes a delightful apéritif to go with oysters on the half shell." --V.B.
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Rose of Cabernet Franc 2012
90 Crisp and focused, with aromas of apricot and wild flowers, plus structured watermelon, mineral and spice flavors. Drink now.
--Tim Fish, August 2013
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TASTING PANEL
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Robert Whitley 10 Red
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91 Virage 2010 Napa Valley.
Ripe plum, blackberry and cassis; lush with spice and subtle oak; elegant and balanced with lively fruit and excellent depth; long and lovely. 56% Cabernet Franc, 42% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. --Anthony Dias Blue (Oct 2014)
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93 Virage 2010 Napa Valley Red Wine: Drop
this vintage of Virage into a blind tasting and my guess is most wine
enthusiasts, even the experts, would peg it for a Bordeaux. In that sense, Emily
Richer's "Right Bank" project is a mission accomplished. She has embraced the
model of St. Emilion, where Cabernet is difficult to ripen and thus Merlot and
Cabernet Franc rule, to produce a superb Bordeaux-style blend with two grapes
that often don't get the respect they deserve, especially in California. This
vintage exhibits the telltale herbal, savory nuance of Cab Franc, but on the
palate it seems the Merlot takes over with aromas of plum and red currant. There
is a light touch of spicy oak and the tannins are firm, but this wine has every
right to improve over the next decade or so. Well done. Robert
Whitley Oct 7, 2014
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Wine & Spirits 10 Red Years Best!
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Wine Enthusiast 10 Red
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YEAR'S BEST Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends (Dec 2014)
88 "BEST BUY" Virage 2010. Emily Richer bases this blend on cabernet franc, and merlot grown at Hyde Vineyards in Carneros; focusing on cool-climate sites, she makes the wine at Alpha Omega with Jean Hoefliger. There's a touch of raisining from the late-season heat spikes, but overall this feels rich and supple, the dark plummy fruit holding some bright flavor complexity. It's smooth enough that if you like a glass of red before dinner, this is a pleasure to drink, while still structured enough to settle in when the food arrives.
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87 Virage 2010 Napa Valley. "From a challenging Napa Valley vintage, this red is made
in what the winemaker calls a “Right Bank” style, blending 56% Cabernet
Franc with 42% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards such as
Hyde in Carneros. The wine is brimming in dark plum and severe chocolate
and cherry, with a reasonable amount of grip."
— V.B.
(11/1/2014)
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Cellartracker 07
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Wine Review Online
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"94 Virage 2007 Red Blend Napa Valley. Perfectly balanced and lilty with a purity and focus that tip toes over mind-boggling, this was a lite to mid-weight wine initially but after about an hour gained some weight as well as some black fruits of currants and black plum. A luscious and plush CF blend that has structure, breed and elegance."
--Mike Pobega, aka "King Cab"
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92 Virage, Napa Valley Red Wine 2007: I suppose there might be somebody out there who could fail to enjoy this wine, but it is so pure and balanced and beautifully ripened that I’d have to conclude that any detractor had indeed “failed” to enjoy the wine. ... “blended in the Right Bank tradition,” it shows very appealing notes of black cherries and plums, with a pleasant leafy backnote and accents of pencil shavings, toast and dark chocolate. Michael Franz Nov 23,
2010
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Good Grape 07
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1WineDude
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94 “Focused on re-shaping the perception of Napa as a hot weather Cabernet Sauvignon playground, Virage is poised to be a breakout star of 2010. ”
--Jeff Lefevere, GoodGrape.com
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2007 Virage Napa Valley. "If it seems odd to be making a Right Bank Bordeaux style blend out of Napa, most of your trepidation should dissipate after a taste of Virage; it’s a solid wine with a lot of personality."
--Joe Roberts, 1WineDude.com
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Wine Enthusiast 2007
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Wine & Spirits 2007 Red
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92 Virage 2007 Napa Valley
This first release from the winery is a fine Bordeaux blend based on Cabernet Franc. It shows all the hallmarks of a cooler-climate Napa Valley wine in the dryness, refined tannins and herb-inflected cherries and blackberries. An elegant, balanced wine that should develop over the next 5–7 years.
--Steve Heimoff, April 2011
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YEAR'S BEST Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends (Dec 2011)
91 "BEST BUY" Virage 2007. Cabernet franc and merlot-based blend from cooler sites in the Napa Valley. It's clean and bright, with bosky cherry flavors and vibrant rose scents. Tight and youthfully rich, this will benefit from several years in the cellar. (Apr 2011)
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Wine Enthusiast 2008 Red
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TASTING PANEL 11 Rosé
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88 Virage 2008 Napa Valley
[excerpts] "Soft and melted.... currant, red stone fruit
and licorice flavors are delicious and complex... Drink up!" --Steve
Heimoff, 2013
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90 Virage Rosé, Napa Valley 2011: "Pale pink; juicy and fresh with racy acidity and zesty fruit; dry, tangy and long with lift and lots of charm." Anthony Dias Blue July, 2011
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