Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
So rich it tastes like chocolate, this ambitious and lavishly oak-influenced wine pulls out all the stops to achieve maximum flavor impact. It smells full of baking spices and savory herbs, tastes very ripe, concentrated and feels lush and creamy in texture. While full bodied, it has plenty of firm acidity and lots of fine tannins to stand up to all that flavor. It's ready to enjoy now through 2020.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Merlot Blue Line has 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec included in the blend. It comes from a vineyard near Switchback and exhibits terrific purity, lush, ripe strawberry jam and black cherry notes along with some mocha and chocolate. Dense purple, plump and corpulent, it is a total hedonistic turn-on to drink over the next decade.
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Wine Spectator
Focused and sleek, with aromas of red currant and tomato leaf leading to elegantly complex flavors of plush cherry, mocha and spice. Tannins sneak in on the finish. Drink now through 2021. 1,100 cases made.
As Napa Valley’s third most planted grape, Napa Valley Merlot shows time and time again its potential to produce exceptional results. Napa’s vaunted combination of climate, soil and the human factor of winemaking expertise lead to big, ripe, cellar-worthy and world-class versions.
Whether made by itself in single varietal bottlings or as an important role in Bordeaux Blends, Merlot continues a prominent role in this famous region. While Cabernet typically takes the lead role, Merlot’s contribution—even at 10% to 20% or so—is significant indeed. Often described as “the flesh on Cabernet’s bones,” Merlot lends a soft, round and plush character that beautifully complements Cabernet’s linear, full-throttle structure. Its flavors of plums plus subtle herbs and mint also dovetail nicely with Cabernet’s blackberry and cassis.