90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
DOUBLE GOLD - TheFiftyBest.com - Best California Merlot - 2020
EXCEPTIONAL - Restaurant Wine - Issues #187, #188, & #189
This harmonious wine displays a lasting and memorable finish. Pair it with grilled flank steak, lamb burgers or veal chops. Highly recommended!
Vintage: The string of near perfect vintages continued for the fifth year in 2016, with an early bud break and flowering followed by sunny days and relatively mild temperatures throughout the growing season. They were able to have almost all their grapes safely in the cellar before the valley's first significant fall rainstorm arrived on October fourteenth.
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.
Alcohol: 14.6% by volume
Varietal: 92% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date: Sept. 22 - 27, 2016
Sugar: 24.7 Brix (average)
Fermentation: Indigenous yeast
Skin Contact: 2 weeks in stainless steel
Total acid: 6.2 g/L
pH: 3.55
Aging: 21 months
Type of oak: French oak barrels; 25% new, 75% neutral
Bottling date: August 2018
Release date: November 2019
93 Points
Aromas of cranberries, pomegranate, red cherry cordial, sassafras and blood orange zest, alongside the lighter damp earth tones on the palate. Full-bodied and downright voluptuous, while having a wonderful combination of freshness and tension, this gorgeous Pinot Noir should have a long life ahead of it.
93 Points
Aromas of fresh baked bread, shades of kumquat zest and spice come together in the glass. The palate has marvelous texture and mouthfeel, leading to a full-bodied apple pie, brioche, honeysuckle, toasted almond and lemon cream flavor.
92 Points
Inviting aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants woven together with baking spices, graphite, cocoa powder, anise and hints of mineral which all burst from the glass. The palate possesses a gorgeous full body that is round and voluptuous. Continues to impress as it displays excellent depth and finish.
Bursting with aromas of cherry, spice, hints of cranberry and tobacco. Flavors of cherry pie, pomegranate and cola with a soft elegant mouthfeel. Amazingly easy-drinking...
Dark, Juicy & Bold...
Deep red with a rich translucent core. Viscous legs adhere high up on the glass, while ruby color bands glide down amid a swirl. Aromas of black cherry, blackberry, red currant, spice, and elegantly toasted oak. The palate offers more bold fruit, eventually mellowing as soft tannins take hold.
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