92pts James Suckling

A medium-to full-bodied red with currant, blackberry, black olive and some bark. Firm tannins. Flavorful finish. Drink after 2022.

Wine Spectator

Delivers a light whiff of menthol that quickly gives way to a soft, forward set of cassis, plum and boysenberry notes. The ever-so-slightly chewy finish is lined with light briar, anise and sweet spice accents. Drink now through 2027. 75 cases made.

Tasting Notes

Black currant, crème de cassis, black licorice and purple plum aromas with a touch of tar, pepperwood, and leather layered with caramel, baking spices, and cocoa. The brambly wild berry fruit on the palate is structured and compact on the forward palate and leads into layers of complex spices and dried sage. The earthly black fruit is mingled with cocoa powder on the finish. Drink now with decanting. Will benefit from 5-10 years in the cellar.

Winemaker Notes

Sam Baxter quite literally grew up among the grapevines in Saint Helena, most often found just a few small steps behind his father, Phil, a legendary winemaker starting in the late 1960s in the Napa Valley. Sam began working in wineries as a young teenager and began learning the art of blending from his father at the age of 16.

After graduating from the University of California in Davis with a degree in Fermentation Science in 1998, Sam worked abroad in Australia before returning to his hometown. He started as Cellarmaster at Terra Valentine Winery at its inception in 1999 under his consulting winemaker father, where the father-son team began the transformation of the ghost winery property into a world class vineyard estate on Spring Mountain. His first encounters with Terra Valentine were cultivated during the early years at the winery, dubbed the "cowboy era" (1999-2001) due to the rough-and-tumble condition of the winery and its vineyard land, which allowed for barely enough energy to run the lights, but no hot water.