Bevan - Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Ridge 2016

97+ Points, Wine Advocate

"The 2016 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color, it features earth, redcurrants, red and black cherries, plums and loads of florals with a waft of dried herbs. The palate offers loads of lift from the menthol and red fruits, with a fine-grained texture and tons of energy on the finish. 605 cases produced."

Russell Bevan has a led a varied life. Born in Ukiah, CA he earned his Master's in Philosophy from Gonzaga University in Washington. His wine career began with working for a Gallo distributor, selling to grocery stores. Then, in the mid-’90s, he wrote a wine column for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. This gave him access to many of the great winemakers in California who later became mentors when he moved to Northern California. 

In 2004, their friend Kal Showket (owner of Showket Vineyard, since sold to Peter Michael and now known as Au Paradis Vineyard) offered to sell him a ton of Cabernet Sauvignon. He leaped at the chance, and Bevan Cellars was born. By 2012, he was able to migrate a portion of the production to Napa. “That’s when things began to take off for Bevan Cellars,” said Russell. “We had a beautiful facility to host new customers and grow the brand.” By 2017, their Napa production had grown significantly, and they were invited by the Tench family to move into their newly built winemaking facility next to the Tench Vineyard. “With our strong ties to the vineyard source and the Oakville AVA, it was an obvious choice for us,” said Russell. 

“We approach winemaking from a texture standpoint,” said Russell. “We know that special vineyards will give us flavor and aromatics, but managing textural balance is where the real magic lies." 

-- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent

Based on 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the 2016 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard was brought up all in new French oak, which has been absorbed beautifully. With terrific intensity in its blue fruits and floral aromatics, this terrific 2016 is full-bodied, powerful, and layered, with ultra-fine tannins that emerge with time in the glass. It has the purity and elegance of the vintage front and center, yet backs it up with both texture and depth. In short, it’s another rock star wine from this estate.

The 2016 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color, it features earth, redcurrants, red and black cherries, plums and loads of florals with a waft of dried herbs. The palate offers loads of lift from the menthol and red fruits, with a fine-grained texture and tons of energy on the finish. 605 cases produced. Rating: 97+

The 2016 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain is built on lifted aromatics and more of a mid-weight sense of structure than is found in the other wines of the range. Sage, crème de cassis, menthol, lavender, mint and dark fruit are all nicely layered. Gracious and light on its feet (that is not a typo), with gorgeous perfume from the Franc, the Proprietary Red is distinctive and incredibly inviting. (Drink between 2022-2036)