Stags' Leap Winery Merlot 1998

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Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
1998

Size
750ML

Features
Collectible

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Merlot was first planted at Stags Leap in 1971 and produced its first vintage in 1977. Sensitive to both climate and soil, Merlot is not an easy grape to grow nor a wine easily made. But the grape seems to have found a good home in the Napa Valley. At Stags Leap it is our diverse collection of soils that begins to define the differences between two blocks of Merlot plantings, both situated on the western side of the vineyard just 400 feet apart. Block 17 is in a region where layers of rock mingle with sedimentary clays from the mountain shales and river silt. In Merlot block 21, deeper surface loam overlays a composition of less clay and a greater proportion of sand and gravel. Block 21 is the first Merlot we harvest each year. The grapes have firm structure and a distinct briary character. Some four weeks later, we harvest Block 17 where aromas of plum and blackberry dominate the fruit and the mouthfeel is velvety soft.

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Stags' Leap Winery

Stags' Leap Winery

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Stags' Leap Winery, California
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A fashionable country resort in the mid-twentieth century, popular with Hollywood due to its 1892 stone Manor House and historic gardens, legends of bootleggers and gangsters, ghosts and gypsies, Stags' Leap has been home to three major family groups up through the modern revitalization of the winery that began in the 1970s.

Stags Leap Manor, as it was called in the 1920s, was known as one of the prominent country retreats in the Napa Valley at a time when resort and spa business was big. In addition to lodging and dining, amenities included lawn tennis, swimming, horseback riding, children's activities, golf, music, cards, a library, and Napa Valley wines and liquors (prior to and after Prohibition).

An intimate valley within the greater Napa Valley, Stags Leap is a place of natural beauty, storied buildings and gardens, a lively history, and a reputation for elegant wines showing finesse and intensity.

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As Napa Valley’s third most planted grape, Napa Valley Merlot shows time and time again its potential to produce exceptional results. Napa’s vaunted combination of climate, soil and the human factor of winemaking expertise lead to big, ripe, cellar-worthy and world-class versions.

Whether made by itself in single varietal bottlings or as an important role in Bordeaux Blends, Merlot continues a prominent role in this famous region. While Cabernet typically takes the lead role, Merlot’s contribution—even at 10% to 20% or so—is significant indeed. Often described as “the flesh on Cabernet’s bones,” Merlot lends a soft, round and plush character that beautifully complements Cabernet’s linear, full-throttle structure. Its flavors of plums plus subtle herbs and mint also dovetail nicely with Cabernet’s blackberry and cassis.

SWC60744_1998 Item# 22846

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