2016 Ibex Napa Valley Proprietary Red - Smith Devereux Wines

Damson plum, damp tobacco, Swiss milk chocolate. Black cherry puree, coffee bean, strawberry pie. New cedar and eucalyptus, fresh baked cookies and hazelnut. Perfectly ripe blueberry, sweet blackberry, and black licorice highlight a soft and sensual attack dusted with vanilla and lovely baking spices. Impressions of toasted oak sustain palpably supple character as fresh violets and green tea ice cream impart complicating lift. Deep and textured on the palate while maintaining fresh and lively spunk; medium plus in body with smooth yet assertive tannin and moderate yet balanced acidity. This 2016 "Ibex" Napa Valley Proprietary Red by Smith Devereux Wines is a well made, fairly priced, and deliciously crowd-friendly blend.

Industry-wide pricing on premium wines from Napa Valley seems to be increasing every year, and this is especially true for the region's wildly popular red blends. This bottling, crafted by Smith Devereux Wines using Merlot sourced from Napa Valley along with a bit of Syrah, is an exceptionally executed and straight up yummy wine that has remained surprisingly affordable. It possesses wonderful concentration and ample weight on the palate without coming off as jammy, manipulated, or over-saturated, and it presents delightful chocolaty impressions while still remaining refreshingly tart and dry. Quality to price ratio is an often discussed factor of high-end wine and this offering absolutely knocks it out of the park. Excellent stuff here by Smith Devereux.