Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Bold and richly structured, with generous blackberry and red currant flavors framed by mocha and river stone as this builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2032. 1,050 cases made.
-
James Suckling
Spiced, blue-fruited character with dark licorice, anisette, bark and wet stones. Full-bodied, deep and juicy with plush, velvety tannins. Compact and even on the palate with a lingering finish.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
One of my favorites in the lineup, the 2021 Merlot has a terrific sense of purity and elegance as well as medium-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, leafy herbs, flowers, and graphite. It's balanced and has silky tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and outstanding length.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.