2006 Napa Valley Charbono
The rare Charbono grape hailing from the Savoie region of France and grown with pride on our Napa Valley estate since 1904 is now a proud member of Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. Our sustainably farmed, century old vineyard celebrates the remaining 65 acres of Charbono grown worldwide. A vibrant, inky colored wine with aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, and dark plum. Intense flavors of black fruit and cherry commingle with chocolate and are accompanied by subtle sage and tar notes. The long finish is punctuated with ripe and round tannins which compliments the plump fruit flavors.
Harvest: October 17th, 2006
Case Production: 630 cases
October 23rd, 2006 at 5:37 pm
A few years ago , I stumbled upon the Charbono & subsequently the name of your vineyard. I was fortunate enough to obtain a few bottles. The balance & depth of the wine went hand & hand with the story of the vineyard. Although, I am the furthest thing from a winemaker, I have developed an understanding of what it takes to be dedicated to a craft & produce , what may be one of the best kept secrets on the planet.
A wiseman once said “Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.”
November 16th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
I stumbled upon this wine recently… had to give it a go since not many wineries produce a charbono. I like this variety a lot (I buy Bob Foley’s charbono every year). This one is excellent and a good value for the money. If you like charbono this is one to seek out and try. I was impressed with the depth of fruit and overall balance. It struck me as a quality hand crafted wine.
November 24th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
I opened a bottle of the 2004 Charbono and it is wonderful. My compliments on a well crafted wine. Great nose, wonderful fruit, greath finish.
April 25th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Had a bottle of the ‘04 with my father a few months ago and we’re still talking about it. This is a really elegant wine. I cannot wait for the ’05s to be released.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:13 pm
We had a bottle of charbono on the wine train earlier this month. It was wonderful. It made the evening more special. Thank you for loving what you do and creating something exquisite.
May 27th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Everything Shypoke makes is WONDERFUL and great values. Bob Foley gets his fruit for his Charbono from Shypoke. I think the character and integrity of the owners make their wines taste even better to me!!!
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 am
What is the aging potential for the ‘05 Charbono? I just bought 6 bottles and want to cellar some. Any thoughts?
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Howdy Russ- Thanks for the question. Charbono is known as a wine that can lay down for extended periods of time, although the question is largely a question of personal preference. I personally enjoy wines that show more fresh fruit and although I do find that cellaring wines can be interesting, I usually find that bottles that I lay down for more than 5 years are past their peak for my palate. For my tastes I would suspect that the 2005v Charbono will drink best in 2008 or 2009, but is also very tasty right now with decanting. Charbono is slightly slow to open up and will give you the best enjoyment served above cellar temperature and/or after decanting or in your glass for a brief rest.