Winemaker Notes
Test demands 'pedal to the metal intensity' when selecting each individual Bordeaux varietal lot for Profile. 'By intensity, I mean deep color and brooding, dark flavors such as roasted coffee - bold and powerful bass notes. The wine's balance comes from the silky, supple tannins derived from ripe grapes and careful finishing.' Chanting the mantra, 'rich, round, fat and supple,' he extracts the very best of each vintage for this crème de la crème.
1998 Profile is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc with grapes from such superstar vineyards as Beckstoffer - Georges III, Poe, Showket, Slawson and Thorevilos. The wine was rated 96 points by Wine Enthusiast, the first American wine on its prestigious 'Best Wines of 2001' list, and garnered an impressive 92 point / '2 puff' rating in the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine.
Professional Ratings
Merryvale Vineyards is a family-owned Napa Valley winery dedicated to passionate winemaking and the fine art of living well. For the past 25 years Merryvale has been turning exceptional Napa Valley grapes into world class wine. Merryvale is world renowned for rich, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the iconic Bordeaux-style red blend, Profile, and our everyday drinking, fruit driven brand, Starmont. Merryvale's historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and has become a must see attraction for visitors to the valley.
Merryvale is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through conservation, renewable energy and sustainable farming practices at our three estate vineyards. Merryvale has received Napa Green Vineyard, Napa Green Winery and Bay Area Green Business certifications.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.