We love this new release and cannot wait to pair it with a juicy steak (+ Cuban cigar) after decanting. The seductive fruit and profound tannins are deftly balanced for a monumentally delicious experience tonight. Notes of exotic spices, cassis and blueberries lead to grainy tannins and delightful hints of graham cracker on the creamy finish. Team notes included proclamations of ‘I Love This!’ and ‘Hints of chocolate are insanely fun.’ This boutique treasure merits 98+ points now and is on the way to at least 99 points in the next few years. Enjoy through 2028.

Anthem Winery Winery

Jeff Ames was born in Germany, but had a thoroughly Southern upbringing, spending
most of his childhood in Memphis, and moving to Mobile, Alabama to attend high
school. After high school, Jeff went to the University of Alabama, receiving a B.A. in
History, with the idea of eventually attaining his law degree. But it quickly became clear
to Jeff that law was not his calling. While working on his Masters in Education at the
University of Memphis, Jeff took a job at a small wine shop to earn extra money. Wine
immediately captivated him, and he began applying for harvest positions in wineries all
over Oregon and California. He got back two replies, one from Lynn Penner-Ash at Rex
Hill in Oregon who immediately hired him to work harvest.
Jeff came to the Napa Valley in 1999, and began learning every aspect of the wine
industry from sales to writing, while doing freelance work for Decanter Magazine. In
2001, Jeff was able to return to what he loved the most, winemaking, when he began
working as assistant winemaker under Thomas Brown on projects including Schrader,
Maybach, Outpost, and Tor. In 2003, he took over as head winemaker for Tor, where he
continues to make critically acclaimed wines from some of California’s most notable
vineyards.