I met Les Behrens back in 1997 when I was working in Napa Valley at a neighbouring winery. It took a while to talk them out of some juice, but we’re sure glad we did. Behrens Family is a boutique winery in the truest sense of the word. Owned by Les Behrens and Lisa Drinkward, they have lovingly crushed tiny lots of grapes by hand over the past 30 years, perched on their beautiful spot high on Spring Mountain. They’ve been through it all up there and they continue to delight us every year with some of the most intriguing wines Napa has to offer.
This is a perennial favourite of ours, the label is a bit dark and intense, and the same can be said for what’s in the bottle. The makeup of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petite Sirah deliver a purple black colour with aromas of violets, blackberry, white pepper and earth – this wine has a powerful, broody quality that is rich with cassis and sassafras notes. Firm but well integrated tannins lend structure and weight to this compact and lush wine. As Les likes to say, “Safe travels and enjoy the journey.” – Kevin McLean
