The Kuleto Estate is tucked into the hills east of the Silverado Trail, where there is plenty of daytime sunshine and ripeness is never an issue. The Frog Prince is for all intents and purposes a red Bordeaux-style blend except for a splash of Syrah that keeps it from being a true meritage. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot do all the heavy lifting for this wine, which exhibits impressive depth and layered complexity, with rich, ripe black-fruited aromas complemented by hints of cedar and vanillin. Given what most Napa Valley red meritage blends would cost, Frog Prince is an out and out steal at the price.
Kuleto Estate, Napa Valley (California) 2012
By Robert Whitley