Grgich Hills
2019 Merlot
, Napa Valley
Estate Grown

This exquisite Merlot opens with earthy notes of coffee bean, plum, and black pepper.  Flavors of juicy black currant and black cherry explode on the palate.  An uplifting freshness is carried through the mid-palate with complex and dense tannins.  Well integrated oak that leaves a trace of baking spice.  There's plenty of fruit here, with a soft transition to a lush, lingering finish.  Leaves plenty of room for many years of aging with its silky tannin structure.  Highly recommended!

Pair it with grilled flank steak, lamb burgers or veal chops.

Vintage:  The 2019 vintage experienced an aboveaverage rainfall in the early months of 2019 with over 50 inches of rain in Rutherford. The residual moisture and colder than average soils led to a delayed start in budbreak.  Spring and summer enjoyed moderate temperatures with no significant heat spikes until August. The harvest began in early September and finished the first week of November.

Vineyard: This 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: 14.5% by volume
Varietal:  89% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date:  October 8-23, 2019
Sugar:  24.2 Brix (average)
Fermentation:  Indigenous yeast
Skin Contact: 2 weeks in stainless steel
Total acid:  5.8g/L
pH:  3.68
Aging:  20 months
Type of oak:  French oak barrels;  37% new, 63% neutral
Bottling date:  July 2021
Release date:  November 2022

Tasting Notes  PDF

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