2009 Francis Ford Coppola Eleanor Red Blend

2009 Francis Ford Coppola Eleanor Red Blend

Inaugural Release

95pts (CGW)In this wine, honoring his wife, Francis Ford Coppola has extended yet again the range and reach of his substantial wine interests. With grapes drawn from his holdings in the north coast, he has followed the Aussie model of blending these varieties into a rich, supple and succulent wine, and, in so doing, has eschewed the directives of the "new paradigm" crowd. While never a wine that goes over the top, so too is this deeply drafted effort not a bottling that relies on restraint and limited intensity.

 Luscious at every stop, it smells and tastes of currants, black cherries, black pepper and caramelized vanilla, is full and nicely mouthfilling on the palate and finishes with fine-grained tannins that will hold it in good stead for years to come.  Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine