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Tasting Notes
With freshness exhibiting its southern Napa origins, the 2020 Merlot exhibits expressive aromas and flavors, with notes of ripe black cherry, red currant, and black plum, commingling alongside spiced notes of cinnamon, clove, Madagascar vanilla, and caramel, a nod to the delicately interwoven oak aging. Lively, lifted chaparral notes of lavender, fresh mint, and sage, dance alongside the riper tones of blueberry preserves and bittersweet dark chocolate, while hints of anise and black tea add savory complexity. Creamy and round, with a backbone of fresh acidity. These elements salute the tannin profile which is polished and firm, adding richness and balance. This merlot finishes with depth and nuance, demonstrating the grace and finesse of this sumptuous Merlot.Technical Information
| Varietal | Merlot |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 96% Merlot, 2% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Oak Treatment | 100% French oak (38% new) for 20 months |
| Alcohol % | 14.3% |
Scores & Accolades
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92"Beautiful red and black fruits meld with dark chocolate and cinnamon accents in this well-oaked, nicely concentrated wine. A full body is backed by moderate tannins, giving it more structure and mouthfeel than a typical Merlot." - Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, June 26, 2023
Winemaking
The grapes for this Napa Valley Merlot underwent a 2-3 week maceration period designed to extract ideal flavor, color and tannin from the skins. Using traditional winemaking techniques, our winemakers aged this Merlot in high quality French oak barrels (38% new) for 20 months. The new oak imparts structure, ageability, and a slight spice complexity that still allows the fresh fruit flavors to take center stage.Vintage
The 2020 season will be remembered for factors beyond the typical harvest season. It was a warm, dry winter and the rain and cooler weather didn’t arrive until the end of March. While the mild spring season was a great early start, our winery working conditions had extensive safety protocols due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days, but then harvest was interrupted by wildfires across California, which came as grapes started to be picked, and we were very fortunate that none of our vineyards were in the areas of the active fires. The white wine harvest started in mid to late August while the red wine harvest was smaller yielding, and proved to be one of the most challenging in history, but our winemakers remained optimistic and very complimentary of the high quality achieved from this unprecedented vintage.Vineyard
Our Napa Valley Merlot is crafted with grapes from vineyards in the southern part of Napa Valley. Fruit from Oak Knoll makes up most of the blend, with the remaining fruit is sourced from the Oakville appellation as well as our very own Stags Leap District. Merlot can lose its varietal identity when exposed to too much heat, but the fruit from these select southerly vineyards exhibit varietal expressions of fresh fruit character, structure, and bright acidity.