When it comes to special bottling of holiday wines, no one does it better than Flora Springs– check out this year’s Halloween bottle or this one from 2016 and this one from 2017 for the winter holidays.

Fortunately what’s inside tastes as good as what’s outside looks!

2016 Flora Springs Red Wine Blend Napa Valley SRP $70
285 cases produced 

These etched and hand-painted bottles this year have three different scenes to choose from.  Nat Komes says that one of his favorite holiday memories was helping their grandmother, Flora, decorate her annual gingerbread house with candy canes, gum drops and icing, and this Gingerbread Estate design celebrates these memories. Inside, the 2016 vintage combines red Bordeaux varietals from their sustainably grown estate vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford.

Color: Rich and dense, blackish red like a black cherry with a bright red rim

Nose: Rich leather and cherry tobacco, barn, very intoxicating nose, menthol and licorice, blueberry and cherry, violets and forest floor. So much going on.

Palate: Velvet, not silk, not satin, but velvet followed up by suede on the finish. While it shows itself off with food, this is a very easy drinking, very smooth wine with plenty of bramble, bush, and red stone fruit plus baking spices and cola. Very rich but not overwhelming, long finish.

Pairing: Excellent with the braised rich complex flavors of the osso bucco.So surprising with the Cesar salad. I would expect it to go well with a blue cheese or beet salat, but knocked me off of my feet with the Cesar. Funny, I had staged a photo with the ceasar salad and then pulled it thinking it wouldn’t be a strong pairing.

Great wine for your holiday prime rib, but give it a try with other holiday foods too. Order Flora Springs holiday wines here.  In addition to the etched bottles, they have a “We Believe” blend and “Dashaway” Chardonnay.

Read more about historic Flora Springs here.