Winemaker Notes
Blend: 92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Pretty nose with cherries, cassis, baking spices and some chocolate on the nose. It's medium- to full-bodied with plush tannins. Well-balanced with an intense core of juicy cherries, herbs and spices intermingling. Focused finish with excellent length. 92% merlot and 8% cabernet franc. Better from 2026.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Amuse Bouche's 2021 Red Wine is 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, weighing in at 14.6% alcohol (on the label). Black cherries, mocha and clay-like earth scents mark the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, silky in feel, with ample concentration married to easy drinkability. The tannins assert themselves on the dusty finish, accentuated by mouthwatering acids, giving the impression that this wine is capable of reasonable longevity. It's a fine example of Napa Valley Merlot, made in a more structured style.
-
Vinous
The 2021 Amuse Bouche is pliant, racy and super-expressive. Succulent red cherry, red plum, spice, blood orange and tobacco are all dialed up. This Merlot-based blend is a total charmer. Dollops of Cabernet Franc extend the finish.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.