Ovid Experiment Red No. R8.3 2013

The 2013 Experiment R8.3 wine is a blend of roughly two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Cabernet Franc, with a splash of Petit Verdot to provide color and bass notes. It is fresh, intense and focused, with notes of red cherries, boysenberry, cocoa, and sandalwood—a wine that speaks with true gusto.

At Ovid, one of our original forms of experimentation was the way that we planted our vineyards in 2000. We used four different rootstocks and several grape varietals on each in order to explore how they perform on our little piece of Pritchard Hill in different growing and harvest conditions. The 2013 Experiment R8.3 wine is made from grapes grown predominantly on 3309 rootstock. 3309 is an established rootstock well regarded for its low to moderate vigor and production of smaller berries with more intense fruit flavors. Our 3309 blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are always the first to ripen—an attribute we appreciate here in Napa Valley where grapes are harvested right up to the first big rains.