Coppola Diamond Claret 22

The Coppola winery was founded in 1975 by the legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola. Located in Geyserville, California, the estate owns some of the best vineyard property in the Alexander Valley AVA.

Coppola, an avid wine enthusiast, started making wine as a hobby in between his work on feature films. The winery was initially intended as a retreat for his family and a place to make wine for himself and his friends; however, it quickly grew into one of the region's most prestigious and visited properties.

I have to admit; although we regularly carried the Coppola wines years back, they had dropped entirely off our radar. That all changed when Coppola winemaker Andrea Card recently visited the shop. The wines we tasted ranged from entry-level to high-end single vineyard releases, all delivering exceptional quality and value.

Coppola Diamond Black Label Claret is a Bordeaux-style blend made from grapes grown at the estate's Alexander Valley vineyard. This rich and elegant red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, and it's aged in French oak barrels for 20 months. In your glass, the deep ruby-red Coppola Claret offers a complex melange of black and dark red fruit, spice, and vanilla on the nose, leading to a smooth, full-bodied palate of dark cherry, blackberry, and cassis. Notes of chocolate, mocha, plum, and black pepper mingle through the lengthy finish, balanced by just the right amount of tannin.

The Coppola Black Label Claret is an outstanding example of West Coast quality and value. Pair this rich, full-bodied red with lamb chops, steaks, chops from the grill, and hearty soups and stews.