Description		Press Acclaim

ORIGIN: From a small eight-acre parcel planted in the 1980s as one of the first narrow-spaced vineyards in Napa Valley, comes our 1997 Merlot, Napa Valley - Carneros. Produced in limited quantities since its genesis in 1992, we are pleased to introduce the 1997 vintage of this prestigious, award-winning Merlot. Crafted from fruit predominantly grown on our oldest estate vineyard in Carneros, the 1997 blend consists of 93% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Malbec.

VINEYARD: Located at the cool southern corner of Napa Valley, Carneros soils are diverse due to a complex geological and climatic history and heavily influenced by the San Pablo Bay. Our sloping estate vineyards contain 1,520 vines per acre featuring rootstock 5C which produces a shallow rooting vine suited for the heavy clay loam soils in Carneros and takes advantage of the cool growing season which develops complexity and intensity. Our Merlot is grown on a clone hand selected in Pomerol, France.

WINEMAKING: The grapes were hand picked in mid September 1997 and then lightly crushed, leaving a percentage of whole berries that were pumped over traditionally and pressed to barrel for malolactic fermentation. The wine underwent 25-27 days of extended maceration and was aged for 18 months in new, medium-plus toasted French oak barrels. It was neither fined nor filtered prior to bottling in August 1999.

ORIGINAL TASTING NOTES: Fleshy, sweet fruits like dark cherry and blueberry, wrapped in hints of cola, vanillin, caramel brown sugar and dried sweet herbs, complement the firm tannin structure in this supple, medium-full bodied Merlot. Subdued mocha and cherry flavors are enveloped in the toasty long finish. Enjoy now or cellar for more than ten years or longer.

This vintage produced 3,570 (750 ml) cases and 3.0L formats.

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