2018 | Ovid Napa Valley | Hexameter

The 2018 Hexameter, Ovid's Cabernet Franc-based wine is stellar. It also shows just how stunning Franc is in these rocky red soils. Effusive aromatics and bright saline notes abound. There is a level of vibrancy to the 2018 that is impossible to miss. Crushed rocks, rose petal, spice, licorice and new leather are some of the notes that race out of the glass. All the best elements of this site come through in a stunning wine that dazzles from start to finish.

Producer Information

Ovid Napa Valley (often stylised as "Ovid.") is a producer located on the Pritchard Hill, northwest of Oakville, in Napa Valley, California. The property was established by Mark Nelson and Dana Johnson as a spot for a vacation home after selling their online medical supply company in 1998. The winery is named after the Roman poet Ovid. The estate produces an eponymous, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant, Bordeaux style red blend, as well as a Syrah. Two further wines are produced and are also Bordeaux blends. These are the Hexameter (which evolved from the earlier Experiment label and is predominantly based on Cabernet Franc) and the majority Cabernet Sauvignon, Loc.Cit. The Ovid vineyard is composed of extremely rocky soils, and receives plenty of sunlight. The vines struggle to thrive, creating small, concentrated berries with complexity. The wines are fermented in concrete and wood casks before going to barrel for aging. The initial 15 acres (six hectares) of vineyard was planted with Bordeaux varieties (albeit predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc) by David Abreu of Abreu Vineyards. Andy Erickson of Harlan and Screaming Eagle fame was brought on as Ovid's first winemaker. Since Ovid's first vintage in 2005, the wines have garnered high praise although they are often hard to source. Regularly selling out, they are almost exclusively available through an allocation basis. Neighbors on the Pritchard Hill include Chappellet, Colgin, and Bryant Family. The small, gravity-flow winery was designed by renowned architect Howard Backen, and sits high up on Pritchard Hill, overlooking Napa Valley and, on a clear day, has views all the way to San Francisco.

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