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2005 Robert Foley Claret
2005 Robert Foley Claret
40 miles due north of San Pablo Bay in Napa County lies the sleepy town of Angwin, California. A short jaunt up the meandering stretch of Summit Lake Drive, nestled inside gently-treed clearings, stands Robert Foley’s Howell Mountain wine facility. After decades of crafting for others the highly acclaimed Switchback Ridge, Hourglass, Paloma, School House, and Engel Family wines, Foley sets off on his own with his first crush facility and cave. “Here I can make the best wines possible,” Foley stresses. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
Foley’s chosen terroir features mountainous, well-drained soils draped over high elevations, a combination proven to concentrate aromas, flavors, color, and density. Foley’s goal is to create the most expressive wines conceivable using traditional techniques and hands-on care. “As one might expect from Robert Foley,” Robert Parker avers, “these are all massive wines, opaque purple in color, and filled with personality and concentration.”
2005 Robert Foley Claret $124.99
“Saturated bright ruby color. Liqueur-like aromas of black cherry, raspberry and mocha; high-toned in a positive way. A sweet, powerful fruit bomb on the palate, with perfectly integrated acidity giving shape and grip to the dark berry and cherry flavors. Firm underlying minerality contributes to the wine’s very fresh impression. Finishes with terrific aromatic persistence.” 93 points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 08
“A gorgeous nose of creme de cassis, spring flowers, and sweet black cherries emerges from the full-bodied, opulent 2005 Claret. Revealing more concentration, sweeter tannins, and more nuances and complexity than the 2006, this elegant beauty can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years.
Now that the highly talented Robert Foley is no longer the full-time winemaker at Pride Mountain Vineyards, he appears to be focusing on his own label as well as consulting for other wineries.” 92 points, Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008
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