Reviews and Accolades
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
2007 Tempranillo Napa Valley
Dark purple. Youthfully brooding aromas of dark berries, cherry pit, licorice and black tea, plus a hint of violet. Sappy and gently sweet, with broad but focused dark berry and bitter cherry flavors that turn more tangy on the back half. Deeply pitched but lively and intense, with strong finishing cut and very good persistence. This benefits a lot from air. 90
2007 Red Wine Napa Valley (a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon)
Inky ruby. Medicinal cherry, herbs and black tea on the nose. Juicy and taut on the palate, with a restrained sweetness to its cherry-vanilla and dark berry flavors. Offers good clarity and persistence on the finish, with slightly drying tannins adding grip. This will work well with richer food. 89
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Hossfeld Vineyard Napa Valley
Opaque ruby. Cherry-vanilla, cassis, cola and tobacco on the nose, with a deeper licorice quality building with air. Deep, rich and smoky, with chewy cherry and dark berry flavors lifted by zesty acidity. Becomes sweeter with air, finishing with very good breath and length. 90
2003 Reserva Red Wine Napa Valley
Deep ruby. Smoky, complex bouquet of dried cherry, cassis, vanilla and mocha, along with a touch of camphor. Smooth, open-knit and sweet, offering supple red and dark berry flavors and suggestions of bitter chocolate and herbs. This blend of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon leads with its cab component today. The dry finish features good cut and lingering spiciness. Mature but in no danger of going over the hill; this actually improved with air. 90
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1998
The Wine Country June 2001
“This is one of the most intriguing wines
“I’ve been tasting this wine for nearly a year, and right now if is coming together in a big way. Spicy and flavorful, with a beautiful dark color, it is rich tasting and plumy, grapey flavors with nuances of cassis and blackberry. This lovely, fruit-forward wine has a fine, handsome structure. This is the debut vintage, and judging by a preview of the 1999, the first of many outstanding wines to come. Bravo, Steve.”
Woodland Hills Wine Co – June/July 2000 Newsletter
What started as a hypothesis has now become a reality. What happens when you blend Cabernet
Sauvignon (known for its structure and depth of flavor), Sangiovese (known for
higher acidity and bright cherry flavors) and Tempranillo (known for broad
flavors and lower acidity)? After all,
Wally’s Wine April 2000
Steve Ventrello founded Parador based on his ‘fantasy’ that three
seemingly compatible grape varieties would marry and wine up creating an
exceptional wine. He intuited that
blending the very best of his favorite varietals – Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon, along with the premier grapes of
In
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1999
San Francisco Chronicle’s 2001 Top 100 Wines
Other varietals and blends
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, with deep plumy flavors, hints of spice and a long, mouth-filling finish.
Wine Exchange June 2001
So what’s Parador? We’re not
sure that, when we explain it, you aren’t going to get it necessarily. It’s the best Cabernet (70%), Sangiovese and
Tempranillo blend we’ve ever had from the
Groezinger’s - July 2001
This is one of the most unique and interesting blends we’ve seen in a
while. Perfectly blended, it is seamless
with a lengthy finish and a complex band of unique flavors not often found in
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1999 Reserva, Red Table Wine
Groezinger’s
This is hands down the best blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and
Tempranillo we’ve come across from the
The San Francisco Chronicle –
“A Wine List With A View At the Post Ranch Inn” by Patrick Comisky
An interview with sommelier Dominique De Cruz
Current Staff Favorite:
Parador 1999
Dean & Deluca – Doug Wilder’s Top 25 of 2003
Made from an unusual combination; Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, and selected from the best barrels, Steve Ventrello’s Reserva reaches new heights in complexity, power and finesse. Bottomless richness with dense aromas of currant, plum, cherry and spicy nuances. On the palate, you will find ripe, smooth black cherry, current and anise.
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2000
Bounty Hunter Holiday 2003
Parador has always been on the short list of favorite unconventional