Pazzo Red Blend 2023, Bacio Divino

Pazzo is Bacio Divino’s deliberately unconventional Napa Valley red blend. Its name means “crazy” in Italian, an appropriate description for a wine that ignores the usual blending rulebook and assembles six very different grape varieties into one surprisingly cohesive whole.

The 2023 combines 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Dolcetto, 20% Merlot, 15% Petite Sirah, 8% Sagrantino and 4% Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon provides the wine’s foundation, while Merlot contributes breadth and Dolcetto brings juicy fruit. Petite Sirah deepens the color and body, Sagrantino reinforces the tannic structure and Cabernet Franc adds another aromatic dimension.

Rich red and black fruit fill the palate, supported by firm tannins, moderate acidity and a full-bodied but balanced texture. Despite its 14.9% alcohol, it remains fresh enough to avoid feeling heavy or overdone. Enjoy it now with grilled steak, braised short ribs, lamb burgers, meat-laden pizza, lasagna, barbecue or aged cheeses. The winery expects it to continue drinking well for another five to seven years.

About the Winery

Claus Janzen’s wine education began during several ski seasons spent working at an upscale establishment in Switzerland. After returning to Canada and eventually moving his family from Winnipeg to Napa Valley, he joined Caymus Vineyards, where he spent 12 years developing the winery’s international marketing program.

In 1993, a chance opportunity to acquire unwanted Sangiovese inspired Claus to make a single barrel of wine. Blended with Cabernet Sauvignon produced at Caymus, it became the first 100-case release of Bacio Divino, Italian for “divine kiss.” Claus and Diane Janzen developed the business as a family operation, with Diane managing sales and customer relationships. Their son Kyle later became co-owner and general manager, representing the second generation.

Consulting winemaker and viticulturist Kirk Venge has crafted the wines since 2003. The family owns 60 rugged acres above Dutch Henry Canyon, with approximately 10 acres of estate Cabernet Sauvignon divided among three hillside sites. Bacio Divino also works with distinguished Napa growers, including several Beckstoffer heritage vineyards.

The portfolio began with the Cabernet-based Bacio Divino blend, followed by Pazzo in 1999 and the Janzen, Vagabond and Lucie labels in the following decade. Pazzo was originally built around Sangiovese, but its composition has always reflected the family’s appetite for blending and experimentation. The dramatically different 2023 blend proves that “crazy” is still less a recipe than a permission slip.