Moraga Bel Air Red

Produced since 1989, Moraga Red has been the winery’s defining product. The Estate Red is produced entirely from grapes cultivated on the steep hillsides and benchland blocks on the property. The blend changes every vintage but includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and usually small amounts of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Winemaker Scott Rich strives to craft a wine that reflects the estate’s unique terroir. The result is a red blend that consistently shows both red and dark fruits such as cherries, cassis, plums and berries with notes of tobacco and lingering minerality. A hint of what is described as the scent of the Santa Monica bay Breeze (which waffles through the vineyard on an almost daily basis) can be found in many of the vintages. With all of Moraga vintages though, there is a signature profile: lovely fruit, notes of earthiness, striking minerality and velvety tannins.
Perhaps among the most notable features of the Estate Red is its propensity to evolve and improve with age. The Estate Red shows an evolution from fleshy berry intensity to more dried fruits flavor. The emergence of cedar, tobacco, leather and a hint of spice come as the wine moves from its youth to full maturity.

The Estate Red, like all terroir driven wines, is dependent upon the nature of the growing season in defining its character from year to year. However, the steep, well-drained hillside vineyards of Moraga Bel Air produce fruit that is consistently transformed into a wine of complexity, sophistication, and elegance.