90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
This is a Cabernet lover’s Merlot! Rich concentrated with black fruit, cherries, licorice, baked plum, graham cracker and coffee are wrapped in a velvety texture that make your taste buds ask for more! Full bodied and ripe, it offers a balanced oak nuance and a soft texture that speaks to its varietal character. The perfect partner with beef tenderloin, rack of lamb, duck and barbecued pork. Highly recommended!
Vintage: The growing season started out with warm temperatures in the late winter and early spring, triggering an early bud break. Colder temperatures in May slowed grape development resulting in a smaller crop in 2015. The harvest was one of their earliest in memory with the berries smaller than usual but packed with flavor and color.
Vineyard: Their Merlot is grown both in cooler American Canyon and Carneros vineyards and in their warmer Yountville vineyard. They blended Merlot from all three vineyards to create a balanced, robust wine that combines the richness and depth from the warmer climates and perfume and bright fruitiness from the cooler climates. Committed to natural winegrowing and sustainability, farmed from five estate vineyards without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides and certified organic.
Varietal: 100% Merlot
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date: Sept. 10 - Oct. 16, 2015
Sugar: 24.7 Brix (average)
Fermentation: Indigenous yeast
Skin Contact: 2 weeks in stainless steel
Total acid: 6.0 g/L
pH: 3.57
Aging: 18 months
Type of oak: French oak barrels; 20% new, 80% neutral
Bottling date: March 28, 2017
Release date: Spring 2019
All Wines
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple in color and strides confidently out of the glass with notes of crushed blueberries, ripe blackberry, and warm cassis with hints of cherry, black olive, currant and a touch of black pepper.
93 Points
Aromas of fresh peach, Asian pear, citrus, and honeycomb delight your senses. Flavors are just as complex with hints of Madagascar vanilla followed by fresh lemon, green apple, wildflower honey, stone fruit, and a touch of lavender. Its rich, dense texture is balanced by its juicy acidity, leading to a long satisfying finish.
94 Points
Rich and full-bodied and graced with elegant structure. Nuanced flavors of blackberries and ripe cherries that coat the palate with luscious ripeness that keeps on giving. A subtle waft of roasted coffee beans and lightly toasted almonds entwine with raspberry in a luxurious finish.
93 Points
Aromas of glazed lemon, pear drops, ripe gooseberries, acacia and wet stone on the nose. The palate is juicy and vibrant on the palate with attractive notes of tarragon and citrus peel. Medium to full bodied with vivid acidity and mineral under-tones. Crisp and flavorful.
Highly Recommended
Aromas of blackberry, rose hip, dried cranberries and hints of boysenberry followed by notes of violets and crushed spices. The palate opens with a dense and lush tannin structure supported by flavors of red berry fruit, and a long flavorful vanilla finish.