Duckhorn Estate Grown Merlot 2006
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The 2006 growing season was marked by a very mild summer with a mid-July heat spike that accelerated ripening. Mild temperatures continued throughout the fall allowing for a moderately paced harvest. The long growing season brought complex and intense flavor and aroma development.
86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
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Classic Duckhorn, which is to say, dry, tannic, elegantly structured and expensive. The winemaker succeeded, in this so-so year, in crafting a rich, nuanced wine of considerable interest. It may not be a longterm ager, but it’s delicious now, with deep flavors of blackberries, red currants, violets, cocoa and smoky oak, balanced with the prettiest acidity. Grows better in the glass as it breathes.
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Wine & Spirits
A dense and potently extracted style of merlot, this has smoky black cherry flavors that edge toward creosote and tar. It also has the warmth of the sun on rocky soils, like those at Duckhorn's Rector Creek Vineryard, a relatively cool site that provides the core of this wine blend. It softens with air, as it will in the company of steak.
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Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting classic Napa Valley wines for nearly 40 years. This winemaking tradition has grown to include seven meticulously farmed Estate vineyards, located throughout the various microclimates of the Napa Valley. Focused on quality and consistency, these Estate vineyards are an essential element in making wines of distinction. Pioneering and perfecting Merlot as a premium varietal, Duckhorn Vineyards now makes several elegant Merlot and distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings that showcase its premium vineyard sites. Duckhorn Vineyards has been named one of the “Top 100 Wineries” in the world eight times by Wine & Spirits, and the 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard was named the “2017 Wine of the Year,” topping Wine Spectator’s annual list of the world’s “Top 100 Wines.”
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.