Winemaker Notes
In Napa Valley, the 2014 growing season delivered a third exceptional vintage in a row, yielding wines with ideal concentration, elegant tannins and lovely varietal flavors.
This classic expression of Three Palms Vineyard Merlot displays beautiful layers of dense dark red fruit, cedar, graphite and cream, as well as hints of wet river rock. Pure and polished on the palate, the rich flavors are underscored by firm, structured tannins and subtle sweet oak that will ensure that this stunning Merlot ages wonderfully for years to come.
Blend: 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A powerful red, with concentrated flavors of red plum, cherry and boysenberry that are layered with plenty of rich spice and mineral accents. Touches of slate and cardamom make for a complex finish. Drink now through 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
Soft and layered, this perennially impressive vineyard-designate speaks highly of the variety, showing balanced offerings of plum, dark cherry, leather and spice. A smoky oak character lies beneath the fruit, complementing it well, while an expansive tannic presence supports the wine's overall breadth and depth. Big boned, this is built to age yet entirely enjoyable 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.