For more than three decades, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting exceptional Napa Valley Merlot. On the palate, the tannins are soft and approachable, adding length to the briar fruit and cranberry notes, and carrying the wine through to a lovely finish highlighting elements of ginger, vanilla, licorice and earth.
From our first Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc blocks to our final red-varietal Estate picks, our 2009 harvest spanned more than two months. Though the 2009 growing season presented certain challenges—from early shatter to late-season rain—a thoughtful response in the vineyards yielded smaller-than-normal crops of high-quality fruit. This response included aggressive leafing, an early thinning protocol and a heavy field sort to select only the most desirable grapes.
Harvest Information
14 sub-appellations
Varietal Content
88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, .5% Petit Verdot
Cooperage
100% French Oak Château-Style Barrels (60 Gallons)
Production/Technical Data
Alcohol: 14.5%
0.61 g/100 ml titratable acidity
pH: 3.57
Bottled: April 2011
Released: August 2011