6 Bottles Cakebread Cellars Merlot Napa Valley 2017 750ML

Description

Cakebread Cellars Merlot Napa Valley 2017 750ML
Tasting Notes:
Our classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reveals aromas of ripe blackberry and boysenberry with hints of dark chocolate and sweet oak. On the palate, the dark fruit is balanced by fresh acidity and lush tannins that carry all the way over a lingering, elegant finish—with just a kiss of minerality. Enjoy this wine now, with everything from lamb burgers to filet mignon and fire-roasted portabello mushrooms—or lay the wine down and watch it continue to develop complexity in the bottle for years to come.
Vineyards
Napa Valley is known the world over for fine cabernet sauvignon. Vineyards here are blessed with a great diversity of soils and microclimates and express their distinct personalities through remarkable wines. We blend our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from special spots throughout the region, including the renowned cab appellations of Rutherford and Oakville, which impart classic Napa Valley bold fruit intensity, as well as the warmer Calistoga area to the north and the cooler southern reaches of the Suscol watershed, which contribute layers of complexity and depth of flavor. On volcanic rocky hillsides, grapes undergo a beneficial struggle that results in intense fruit, firm tannins, and distinctive minerality, while in the deep, well-drained soils of the valley floor, grapes develop ripe black fruit concentration, balanced acidity, and supple tannins.
Vintage
After several years of drought, we were happy to see ample rainfall in Napa Valley during the winter of 2017. Cool spring weather gave us ideal conditions for flowering and “berry set”—when each tiny flower turns into a young grape. Temperatures were moderate through the summer, for slow, even ripening, then turned warmer during harvest, which sped things up and delivered small clusters with tremendous varietal flavor concentration and balanced acidity.
Winemaking
We harvested grapes during the cool night hours to ensure the fruit retained freshness, purity, and natural acidity. Clusters were hand-sorted and destemmed, then whole berries were also hand-sorted. Partial crush gave us optimum extraction of color, flavor, and tannin from the grape skins. Prior to fermentation, grapes underwent a “cold soak,” which softens the grape skins and further helps extract color and tannin. Following fermentation the wine was transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation. The wine aged in French oak barrels (56% new) for 17 months, then our winemaker blended the diverse components to add layers of complexity to the concentrated, classic Napa Valley tapestry of flavors.
Grape Variety: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon;
9% Merlot; 4% Petite Verdot; 4% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol Content: 14.6%
Total acidity : 0.70g/100ml pH: 3.55
Winemaker: Stephanie Jacobs
Vineyards: Harvest Dates: Barrel Aging:
100% Napa Valley
September 26 – October 7, 2017
17 Months In 56% New French Oak
This is a savory, bold and structured wine, with a firm foundation. Hints of dried herbs, along with aromas of deep blackberry and black cherry, are evident along with mineral notes of crushed stone. The flavors are deeply concentrated with black plum, as well as fresh blackberries to match the nose. Freshness and acidity are followed by silky textures and refined, elegant tannins.
Blend: 82% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 6% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Franc
The 2017 Merlot is made from 65% estate-grown fruit, with 50% coming from the Suscol Springs vineyard and 15% from the Cakebread Winery Ranch vineyard. It was aged 17 months in 44% new French oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it has a softly spoken nose of warm plums, blackberry pie and Black Forest cake with suggestions of menthol, tobacco, and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is gently swathed in soft, plush tannins and has loads of juicy black fruits, lifted with a lively line of freshness and finishing with a minty kick.