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
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
94 Points
Opulent dark fruited with blackberry and ironstone mineral character, blue fruit notes, and violets with crushed cocoa nibs nuances and a long dark chocolate and mineral-scented finish. Ultra delicious and quite lengthy.
98 Points
Deep purple hue and an alluring aromatic profile of fresh blue fruits and delicate violets. On the palate, it delivers a seamless and layered texture, framed by supple, polished tannins and a refined sense of balance. Elegantly structured, it offers remarkable purity and finesse, finishing with graceful length and poise.
95 Points
This stellar Napa Valley Red Blend marries lush plum and cherry with Malbec's dark berry depth and Petit Verdot's structure and spice. Layered with notes of blackberry, violet, and cocoa, this silky wine finishes with smooth tannins and a whisper of toasted oak. Robust and mouth-filling, with spicy nuances, smooth tannins, firm structure, and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of fresh black currants, kirsch, and mulberries... Full-bodied, the palate delivers a firm line of grainy tannins with bold freshness to frame the muscular black fruit, finishing long and cedary.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
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