Sample wines from an exclusive
   blend of boutique Napa Valley
   wineries.  » Learn more

> Main Catalog
> Venge Vineyards 2006 Penny Lane Sangiovese

Venge Vineyards 2006 Penny Lane Sangiovese
Venge Vineyards 2006 Penny Lane Sangiovese
***Sold Out***
Now selling the 2007 Atlas Peak Sangiovese
A beautifully, warm plum red color coaxes your eyes into this intoxicatingly fruit forward wine. Aromas of strawberry jam, black cherry, rhubarb pie and a touch of allspice and campfire fill the nose. The palate is a flashy array of ripe cherry, cola and red rock candy. We employ once used barrels to offset the tendency of delicate varietals such as Sangiovese to be overwhelmed by oak. The overall effect is a savory and fruit forward wine, supported by firm acidity with structure that will help it age and continue to improve for 5 to 7 years.
- Kirk Venge, Proprietor & Winemaker
The Penny Lane Vineyard is located in Oakville at the heart of the Napa Valley. This is a unique vineyard site in that it is ¾ acre of Sangiovese entirely surrounded by Cabernet Sauvignon. The 18 year old vines show that even fine Sangiovese can be grown on “Cab land”. Oakville is becoming more and more Cabernet focused and for any other varietal to survive, it has to be something truly special. I believe our Penny Lane Sangiovese meets that criterion. The vines are dry farmed as well to focus flavors and achieve a level of concentration that is often difficult to obtain in irrigated soils.
Sangiovese sourced from Penny Lane Vineyard, Oakville, 18-year old vines. Charbono sourced from the 60 year “old vine” Frediani Vineyard in Calistoga, Napa Valley. Syrah sourced from Muhlner Vineyard, Napa Valley.

Detailed Wine Information
Alcohol:13.9%
Appellation:Napa Valley
Sub-Appellation:Oakville
Bottling Date:April 21, 2008
Harvest Date:October 17, 2006
Special Designation:Penny Lane Vineyard
Time In Oak:15 months
Varietal:90% Sangiovese, 5% Charbono, 5% Syrah
Winemakers Notes:A rare technique critical in the making of wine is ripasso. Ripasso is an Italian term describing the use of the skins of one varietal during fermentation to lend its qualities to the juice of another (essentially it means trading out the skins of a lower intensity varietal, like Sangiovese, with that of a more power driven varietal like Charbono in this scenario). Italian Amarones are made in this fashion. Although very inexact in its science, it is a wonderfully artistic method and tool that when used correctly gives most Sangiovese proper weight and density. The old vine Charbono skins lend incredible amounts of flavor and dark purple color to the wine that it possibly would not have had otherwise. Via ripasso, we are able to give this wine the opportunity to marry from day one, resulting in a wine with much fuller body and ripe character. The wine was aged 15 months in one-year-old used Francois Fereres tight grain French Burgundy shaped barrels. Prior to bottling, a splash of Syrah was blended in for a bit more color expression and palate structure. Indigenous malolactic fermentation was employed. Unfiltered and unfined.
Year:2006