Provenance Vineyards Carneros Merlot 2002

"Tom Rinaldi had developed his red-fruited merlot style at Duckhorn for more than twenty years before launching this new project with the Chalone Group. They established long-term contracts, mostly with Any Beckstoffer, for grapes from Oakville, Rutherford, as well as the original Las Amigas Vineyard in Carneros. Rinaldi then blended a wine at once precise and formidable, with the tenderness of the grape at its core. The luscious cherry flavor feels bright and lifed, an enveloping hug made forceful by the mineral firmness of the tannin, which is so round and supple it seems to disappear into the fruit. Delicious now, ths will only gain stature with age."
-Wines & Spirits

Our Merlot is grown primarily by the Beckstoffer Family at its famed vineyard in the southern region of the Napa Valley in the Los Carneros subappellation. The vineyard's mix of clay and loamy soils, plus a cooler climate than the rest of Napa Valley, due to the San Pablo Bay influence, make it ideally suited for this varietal. All grapes are handpicked when they taste rich and ripe.

We destemmed the grapes, but did not crush them. After cold soaking the grapes for two days, we added a selection of yeast to start fermentation. Careful monitoring of the fermentation, careful separation of the wine from the skins, natural clarification by gravity and age-old Bordeaux techniques that allow development for a year and a half produced a wine that is elegant yet powerfully rich. We crafted this wine to be reflective of the vintage, varietal and this famed sub-appellation of Napa Valley. Our Carneros Merlot has a deep garnet color and forward aromas of black cherry and mocha with a hint of tea leaf. In the mouth, the herbal note is joined by cloves and licorice, and the wine has a long, round finish.