VINEYARD 36
FOUNDATION RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Professional hockey players Tim Gleason and Cam Ward teamed up with their friend Jason Earnest to create Vineyard 36 out of the group’s shared vision and a common goal to produce wines that express the diversity of Napa Valley. Keith Emerson joined as the Director of Winemaking in 2017, ironically having run programs for ultra-premium custom crush clientele for Vineyard 29 since 2005 at their state-of-the-art gravity-flow facility, bringing two decades of winemaking expertise and experience.
The Foundation pays tribute to Tim and Cam’s careers in hockey with an ice rink-shaped oval with faint skate marks. The Roman numeral III in the center represents the bond and friendship between the three friends. The 2021 vintage comprises 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, sourced from Oakville, Oak Knoll, and Rutherford, giving a complete, balanced Napa red wine with power and definition.
The Cabernet comes from one of Rutherford’s best-known vineyards, but non-disclosure agreements prevent me from telling you which one.
VINEYARD 36
FOUNDATION RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $55
“The Vineyard 36 Foundation Napa Red 2021 begins with a bright nose with wild berries, marzipan, white rose, and spearmint hints. The lush palate continues with concentrated candied cherries, penetrating sweet boysenberries, leading to a lengthy finish with a nice balance between the ripe fruits and complexity, combined with slightly chalky/satiny tannins that will continue to unfurl in the future.”
94 Points