90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Vintage: We enjoyed a wonderful growing season from start to finish in 2012. A gentle spring allowed for textbook flowering and fruit set, followed by a long procession of warm, sunny days with no nasty heat spikes. Thanks to the excellent weather, the longer-thanaverage growing season produced perfectly balanced and ripe grapes.
Vineyard: This cool climate Merlot is grown in our vineyards in southern Napa Valley, within sight of the San Francisco Bay. We blended in a small amount of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from our warmer upper Napa Valley vineyards to craft a complex, balanced wine. Committed to natural winegrowing and sustainability, we farm our five estate vineyards without artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides and they are certified organic.
The Wine: This is a Cabernet lover’s Merlot! Its bright flavors of strawberries, cherries, licorice and a hint of coffee are wrapped in a velvety texture that make your taste buds ask for more! The wine’s firm tannins and vibrant acidity create the perfect partner with beef tenderloin, rack of lamb, duck and barbecued pork.
Varietal: 95% Merlot, 5% Cab. Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Harvest date: Sept. 26 - Oct. 21, 2012
Sugar: 25.6 Brix (average)
Fermentation: indigenous yeast
Total acid: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.68
Aging: 18 months
Type of oak: French oak barrels; 30% new; 70% neutral
Bottling date: March 27, 2014
Release date: December 2015
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.
92 Points
Deep floral notes (violets), blackberry, black cherry, and cassis. Driven by the mountain's steep, cool-climate terroir, it balances rich notes of blackberry and pomegranate seamlessly intertwined with dark plum, cocoa dust, and roasted mocha, hints of roasted mocha and spice undertones add depth to its complex profile, culminating in a bold, yet elegant finish.
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