Winemaker Notes
Blend: 89% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Duckhorn Merlots from the Three Palms Vineyard have never been sparing in richness or wide-open fruit, and, while this version is long on the variety’s plumpness and charm, it reaches a bit further in terms of creamy complexity as well. Its layered mix of ripe cherries and sweet oak affords plenty of immediate appeal, and, if wonderfully supple, it is beautifully balanced and fit with a fine spine of tannin that provides a nice sense of grip and the potential for age. It is friendly stuff now and will grow with time, and a few years of waiting can be counted upon to make a very good thing even better
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Wine Enthusiast
From one of the best known sites for the variety in the Napa Valley, this wine shows classic structure, with an almost dusty quality to the well-integrated and resolved tannins. Concentrated, it shows a density of red fruit that remains in balance with its more rugged minerality, remaining soft on the palate throughout. Drink now through 2025. Cellar Selection
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Of all the Merlots in the world, this is the one I take to a deserted island, savor and say, "Yes I have found my beach." The 2012 Duckhorn Three Palms is as good as it gets. So much fruit and so much class, for those who love wine this a must try. Medium to dark ruby color; inviting bright high toned red fruit aromas, youth is on this one's side; medium bodied, layered on the palate, sweet tannins sail nicely on the palate; dry, fine acidity, well balanced; energetic bright red currant flavors, wood, earth, pretty rich; medium finish. Just beginning to drink now, but could be super special with another 6 years of bottle age. (Tasted: April 18, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Lots of cherry and dried strawberry aromas with hints of chocolate. Full body, round tannins and a savory finish. Clean and very delectable. Drink now.
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.
One of Napa Valley’s oldest wine growing subregions but last to gain appellation status, Calistoga occupies the northernmost section of the valley. Beginning at the foot of Mount St. Helena, its vineyards stretch over steep canyons and roll out onto the valley floor. The soils in Calistoga are volcanic, which means they are heavy in minerals, low in organic matter and allow good drainage for vine roots, creating less green growth and more concentration of flavor within the grape berries.
Summer days are very hot but most nights cool down with moist ocean breezes sneaking in over the Mayacamas Mountains or from Knights Valley to its northwest.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the area’s star variety with Zinfandel coming in a strong second, though the latter commands far less price per tonnage so continues to be outshined by Cabernet in vineyard acreage, save for some important exceptions.