Adobe Road house spotlight
Official Adobe Road Winery tour of Kevin Buckler's Petaluma riverfront house. Apex is the Racing Series reserve blend with a metal curbing on the bottle.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2019 Adobe Road Apex Sonoma County across the open market. Their published U.S. low is $64.30 and the average is $79.03. Our slash is $65.00.
2019 Adobe Road Apex Sonoma County, USA
Adobe Road Apex, 72 percent Cabernet with Syrah and Franc, the 2019 Racing Series reserve you can open at sixty-five dollars.
The 2019 Apex is 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with 12 percent Syrah, 8 percent Cabernet Franc, 7 percent Petite Sirah, and 1 percent Petit Verdot, 60 percent Sonoma and 40 percent Napa: smoky blackberry, coffee, and charred wood, now $65.
The house reserve under a metal curbing
Apex wears a metal curbing on the bottle. It is the house reserve blend, not a second wine. Seventy-two percent Cabernet, then Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and a drop of Petit Verdot. Sixty percent Sonoma, 40 percent Napa. Deep violet, dark cherry, anise, toasted baking spice, velvety tannin. Sixty-five dollars.
The house
Kevin and Debra Buckler opened Adobe Road in Petaluma in 2002. Garrett Martin makes the wines.
The wine
72% Cabernet, 12% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petite Sirah, 1% Petit Verdot. 60% Sonoma, 40% Napa.
The bottle
Apex wears a metal curbing. It is the Racing Series reserve blend.
The drinker
Smoky blackberry and coffee first. Serve 62 to 66 F. Decant 20 minutes. Ribeye or lamb.
Smoky blackberry and coffee, then cocoa, iron, and spice
The 2019 pours deep violet: smoky blackberry, coffee, charred wood, cocoa nib, cast iron, then a long spicy finish. Dark cherry, anise, and toasted baking spice sit on velvety tannin. Cabernet is the frame. Syrah adds smoke. Franc keeps the lift.
A classic, well-paced California red year. This 2019 Apex is open now, with enough structure for a steak.
Smoky blackberry, coffee, charred wood, cocoa nib, dark cherry, anise, baking spice.
Full, Cabernet-led, velvety tannin, 60% Sonoma / 40% Napa.
Cast iron, spice, length. Serve 62 to 66 F. Decant 20 minutes.
Cabernet for the frame, Syrah for the smoke
Apex is the reserve blend, not a single-vineyard puzzle. Seventy-two percent Cabernet Sauvignon holds the line. Twelve percent Syrah is the smoke and spice. Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot fill the corners. Sixty percent of the fruit is Sonoma, 40 percent Napa. Garrett Martin assembled it in Petaluma.
The metal curbing on the bottle is the Racing Series signature. The juice is a Cabernet reserve with a Rhone accent.
Decant 20 minutes. Serve 62 to 66 F. Ribeye takes the coffee and cocoa.
The reserve that wears a curb on the glass
Apex is how Adobe Road bottles a flagship without leaving the racetrack language.
Kevin Buckler raced at Daytona and Le Mans, then opened Adobe Road in Petaluma in 2002 with Debra.
The Racing Series launched as metal-label wines. Apex is the reserve blend in that set.
The 2019 is that reserve after a classic year: Cabernet, Syrah, Franc, a curb on the bottle.
Ribeye, then lamb
Cabernet-led Apex wants char and herb. A hard-seared ribeye takes the coffee. Rack of lamb takes the spice.
Two plates. One butter-basted ribeye. One rosemary rack of lamb. Both can take Apex tannin.
Serve 62 to 66 F. Decant 20 minutes. A reserve blend, not a tasting-room splash.
Pan-Seared Ribeye
Char and fat for smoky blackberry, coffee, and cocoa nib.
Why it works: The crust meets charred wood. Beef fat cushions Cabernet tannin.
View Recipe for pan-seared steaks (opens in a new tab)
Rosemary Garlic Rack of Lamb
Herb and lamb for Syrah smoke and Franc lift.
Why it works: Rosemary echoes baking spice. Lamb fat rounds the long spicy close.
View Recipe for rosemary garlic rack of lamb (opens in a new tab)Put this 2019 Apex in the cart
Garrett Martin, 72 percent Cabernet, Racing Series reserve. Sixty-five dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is the Apex with a metal curbing, Cabernet-led, priced for the table.
