Winemaker Notes
To create Oberon Merlot, the winemaker sourced grapes from Napa Valley’s renowned Oakville district. The deeper alluvial soils along with the perfect balance of cool mornings and afternoons make this are the perfect location for growing Bordeaux varietals. The winemaker sources Syrah and Zinfandel in small lots specifically for this blend as they marry beautifully with this Merlot and bring out the rich character of this delicious expressive Oakville fruit.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Enticing, spicy oak aromas and vivid red and black fruit flavors highlight this vibrant, well-structured wine. Moderate tannins and bright raspberry and black cherry flavors fill out the palate while the addition of 10% Syrah and 2% Zinfandel contributes some nice layering.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Oberon Merlot is bright, authentic, and jazzy. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of rocks-in-the-desert, tart red fruits, and chalky notes. Pair it with grilled lamb chops. (Tasted: June 24, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Direct and zesty, with appealing red currant, dried herb and spice flavors that finish with snappy tannins. Drink now through 2029. 3,900 cases made.
Winemaker Tony Coltrin was born in St. Helena and is a lifelong Napa Valley resident. Having grown up in Napa Valley and worked in the wine industry for over 45 years, Coltrin knows every corner of the valley and precisely which sub-zones excel at producing Bordeaux grapes of exceptional character.
Tony’s life-long relationships with grape growers throughout the Napa Valley are the key to Oberon’s quality. He is able to draw on those friendships to reliably obtain top quality fruit at a fair price year after year. For Oberon, Tony selects Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes from Napa’s best winegrowing regions, including Rutherford, Oakville, Oak Knoll, Yountville, Chiles Valley and Capell Valley.
By layering together structured hillside fruit, plush fruit from the alluvial valley floor and fruit sourced from diverse soils within the valley, Tony crafts quintessential Napa Valley wines: complex, flavorful wines with ample natural acidity. Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Napa Cabernet with deep, rich color and concentrated blackberry and cassis flavors. The Merlot shows textbook plum and black currant flavors and silky texture. The Sauvignon Blanc is partially fermented in barrel, adding body and texture to the vibrant green apple, kiwi, pear and melon fruit flavors. The Carneros Chardonnay is an expressive, approachable, fruit-forward wine with notes of caramelized white pear, fresh Fuji and Golden Delicious apple, and torched crème brûlée.
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.