Grgich Hills
2017 Merlot
, Napa Valley
Estate Grown

90 Points, Gold Medal - American Fine Wine Competition, 2021
Gold Medal - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, 2021

This exquisite Merlot opens with plum, rose hip, blood orange, fresh peach and cherry in the nose, with undertones of laurel and dried orange peel. Flavors of juicy red fruit explode on the palate, and an uplifting freshness carries the mid-palate with complex and dense tannins, plenty of fruit and a soft transition to a lush, lingering finish.

Well-balanced and a silky tannin structure on this wine leaves plenty of room for many years of aging. Pair it with grilled flank steak, lamb burgers or veal chops. Highly recommended!

Vintage:  We had high rain fall at the beginning of the season, a mild winter, and then we finally transitioned into a beautiful spring. There was an early bud break and flowering, followed by sunny days and high temperatures through June and August.

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: 14.8% by volume
Varietal:  88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date:  Sept. 27- Oct. 12, 2017
Sugar:  24.5 Brix (average)
Fermentation:  Indigenous yeast
Skin Contact: 2 weeks in stainless steel
Total acid:  6.3 g/L
pH:  3.67
Aging:  21 months
Type of oak:  French oak barrels;  25% new, 75% neutral
Bottling date:  August 2019
Release date:  March 2021

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