Dry Creek Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County, California) 2011

Dry Creek Vineyard is another producer that overcame the challenges of the wet, cool 2011 vintage to make a very credible wine at its top tier. The Mariner utilizes all five of the red grape varieties from Bordeaux — cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cab franc, petit verdot and malbec — in The Mariner, resulting in a complex, layered red meritage that delivers bright red and black-fruit aromas, notably a touch of black currant, with supple tannins and a long, spicy finish.