2022 Merlot Case Special

Merlot is best served at a slightly cooler temperature than room temperature. You can achieve this by placing the bottle in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving. Avoid serving Merlot too cold, as this can mute the flavors and aromas. Consider decanting your Merlot before serving, especially if it’s a young wine. Opt for a glass with a large bowl and a tapered rim to concentrate the aromas.

The 2022 Merlot delivers an indulgent sensory experience, harmonizing ripe fruit nuances of black cherry, plum, and raspberry with enticing hints of cardamom, cinnamon, and velvety vanilla crème. Infused with an intriguing vein of minerality, the wine culminates in a lingering finish with undertones of toasty, sweet oak.

Immediately after harvesting, the grapes for our 2022 Napa Valley Merlot were given a 3-day cold soak to extract color, tannin and flavor from the fruit. The juice fermented in small stainless steel tanks and was transferred to French and American oak barrels for eighteen months prior to bottling. Sourced from the Windfall Vineyard, on the western benchland of the Rutherford sub-appellation, enjoys cool evenings and warm afternoons. The four acres of well-drained, nutrient-rich, gravelly loams produce concentrated yet balanced Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The 2022 vintage will be remembered for a growing season that was near ideal, with abundant early season rains and excellent spring and summer weather, culminating in what many vintners called "the tale of two harvests." The white wine harvest kicked off in early August, followed quickly by red wine varietals. But triple digit heat over five days in early September - followed by a spate of rain - brought harvest to a sudden halt. After the rain, grapes were left to hang through October, with mild weather that allowed winemakers to await perfect ripeness. Although the harvest was challenging, winemakers describe 2022 wines as having perfect acidity and freshness with remarkable flavors and textures. Red wines show excellent structure with deep red colors, luxurious tannins and exquisite fruit-forward aromatics.