Winemaker Notes
#82 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025
This vintage of our most celebrated Merlot continues the story of a vineyard steeped in history and craftsmanship. It begins with the vibrant allure of Bing cherries interwoven with the delicate fragrance of rose petals. As it unfolds, layers of cocoa and slate emerge. On the palate, the richness of plum and fig take center stage; its lushness framed by Three Palms’ signature dusty tannins and earthy minerality resulting from warm days and rocky well-drained soils.
Blend: 92% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon,1% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Refined and pure with delicate notes of damson plums, fresh herbs, crushed blueberries and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with densely packed fruit and finely integrated tannins that are balanced and harmonious. A fine example of merlot done well. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Powerfully built yet refined and generous, with rich flavors of blackberry and red currant that take on toasty cinnamon, tomato leaf and spice flavors as this builds toward broad-shouldered tannins. Best from 2026 through 2033.
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.