Winemaker Notes
With a little air this wine is bursting with aromas of raspberry, cranberry, red currant, while candy cherries dance in the background. Subtle hints of dried herbs. The wine is light and smooth on the pallet with a bright acidic finish that is characteristic of the cooler vintage. While this wine is shy upon release, its aroma will open up with time and oxygen and it has excellent acidity that gives it the right structure for ageing and will mature into a beautiful, medium bodied classic.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This has an earthy character with notes of cherries and blueberries as well as hints of cured meat, black olives and wet asphalt. Medium- to full-bodied with layers of fine-grained tannins, that are tight and compact. Structured and lingering. Better after 2024.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A super bargain in the rarefied world of Napa wines, Farella's 2018 Merlot is a bit smoky on the nose, adding pleasant hints of paprika and cinnamon to a base of ripe black cherries. Medium to full-bodied, round and ripe, this has rich, velvety tannins, impressive in a Napa Merlot, plus an appealing dash of dried spices on the finish. It should drink well for more than a decade.
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.
Situated in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley in the Vaca range, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy a long growing season mitigated by cool, San Pablo Bay fog.