Tasting Notes:
95 points Wine Spectator Generous, rich, and deeply concentrated, offering a seamless array of ripe black cherry, plum, and cassis fruit woven with complex dark chocolate, espresso, and toasted oak accents. The texture is plush and broad, anchored by well-integrated, firm tannins that carry through a long, luxurious finish. Massive yet remarkably polished.
94 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate A dark ruby/purple hue is followed by an expressive bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, sweet tobacco, and dried herbs. Full-bodied, layered, and beautifully balanced, it showcases classic Napa Valley power paired with impressive structural elegance. Drinking exceptionally well with decades of life ahead.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Terlato Family Vineyards Episode represents the pinnacle of Napa Valley winemaking for the legendary Terlato family, who have shaped the luxury wine landscape for over half a century. Produced in extremely limited quantities from select, high-elevation and benchland sites within the Napa Valley—including premier blocks in Rutherford and Stags Leap District—Episode was created to rival the legendary Premier Crus of Bordeaux. A classic Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend harmonized with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Episode stands as an uncompromising, small-batch statement of power, elegance, and age-worthiness.
The 2006 growing season in Napa Valley was defined by a steady, extended maturation period that rewarded patience in the vineyard. Following a wet spring that provided deep groundwater reserves, a warm July yielded to mild, uniform weather throughout August and September. This allowed for slow, ideal phenolic ripening without excessive sugar spikes or heat stress. Hand-harvested at peak maturity, the fruit underwent rigorous sorting before fermentation and extended aging in select French oak barrels to seamlessly integrate its formidable tannin structure.
At twenty years of age, the 2006 Terlato Family Vineyards Episode Red Blend has reached a glorious, fully mature secondary drinking window. The nose opens with an inviting bouquet of black currant liqueur, cedar chest, dried violets, tobacco leaf, and crushed cocoa bean. On the palate, the wine is velvety and mouth-filling, balancing dark fruit density with refined, resolved tannins and a long, savory finish. An essential, beautifully aged acquisition for collectors of classic, benchmark Napa Valley blends.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar since purchase.
Condition:
Perfect.
