Cabernet Sauvignon 81%, Merlot 17%, Cabernet Franc 2%The Ellman “Brothers’ Blend” is a wine that is crafted to showcase the rich, opulent style of the Ellman wines, in a bottle that is more broadly accessible and that can be immediately enjoyed on release.  

The 2022 vintage delivers on that promise, with a round, juicy, fruit-driven style that is very appealing. 

2022 was the third year in a multi-year drought in California, meaning that the vines had to reach deep to look for water and nutrients. This is the type of viticultural struggle that creates wines with concentration and depth and tends to heighten the sense of place in the wines. 

A crescendo of heat at the end of the growing season made for ripe, fruit-forward wines with silky tannins and great length. The 2022 Brother’s Blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 17%, Cabernet Franc 2%. The addition of the Merlot helps to shine a light on the fresh blue fruit notes in the wine, and to polish the already well-rounded tannins. On the nose, there are notes of blueberry pie, fresh blackberry, as well as savory notes of sage, graphite, and fresh-cut wood. The dark fruit flavors rush across the palate, along with subtle hints of baking spice and toasted almond.  

Soft and generous, this wine will be a crowd pleaser for sure. Meant to be enjoyed immediately, it will certainly age well for years in the cellar.

Cabernet Sauvignon 82%, Cabernet Franc 18%

One thing we have learned over the past decade is that Cabernet Franc in incredibly well suited to our Napa Valley climate. This is especially evident in warm seasons like 2022, when the Cabernet Franc berries developed as in any other season. Jemma is our expression of the estate vineyard in which we blend a significant portion of Cabernet Franc. The 2022 is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 19% Cabernet Franc, both varieties coming from compelling blocks in our estate vineyard. The resulting wine is dark, rich and aromatically expressive. From the Cabernet Sauvignon come the expected forward notes of blackberry and cassis, but layered on top are complex aromas from the Cabernet Franc—black licorice, dried white flowers, orange blossom, and even hints of Moroccan spices. On the palate there is great power, plenty of tannin and fruit intensity.  This play of density and depth with bright, delicate aromatics, is very compelling. The wine continues to open with time in the glass, which bodes well for a long life as it ages in bottle.