Tasting Notes

Summer-ripe blackberry dominates the nose of L’Heureux’s blend, followed by hints of leafy tobacco and cigar-box aromas—a sexy smokiness that sets this wine apart from the usual Merlot-based wine. The structure reveals a flirty underskirt of stiffer Cabernet tannins—a little like the boning in an old-fashioned bustle. Drink now through 2010.

Winery Story

Bob Pepi and Jeff Booth, who are among the most experienced winemakers in the Napa Valley, carefully craft L'Heureux wines. Since 1975, the duo has produced wines for both small and large wineries throughout Napa, Sonoma, broader regions in California, as well as in Colorado and South America. They have been the founding winemakers at five Napa wineries.

Lurix is made from a blend of grapes anchored by Merlot. Blending, while common in almost all wine regions, is often misunderstood by Americans used to spotting a single grape on labels. In truth, many U.S. wines that are labeled by a single varietal (such as Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, etc.), are in fact blends. For example, a bottle labeled Cabernet Sauvignon must contain at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, but the other 25% can consist of other varietals.

Lurix's label states "red wine" prominently on the label, making it perfectly clear that this is a blend. While in the past, domestic wine drinkers mistakenly associated "red wine" with "cheap," that has changed significantly as high-priced, cellar-worthy red blends (like Opus One) have begun turning heads in the wine world.