Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
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Wine Enthusiast
Elegant and agile, but beautifully concentrated, this well-polished Malbec-based blend cradles deep black fruits and dark chocolate in a bundle of fine-grained, silky tannins that soothe the palate and make you want to keep sipping.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Red Blend Meritage checks in as a mix of 53% Malbec, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot. A step up over the Merlot, its deep purple hue is followed by a juicy, peppery, blue-fruited nose revealing lots of floral and spicy nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, I love its purity of fruit, it has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's well worth checking out and will evolve for a decade.
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.