Stags' Leap Winery - Merlot Napa Valley 2021 (750ml)

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Price: $38.99

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Producer	Stags' Leap Winery
Country	United States
Region	California
Subregion	Napa Valley
Varietal	Merlot
Vintage	2021
Sku	107929
Size	750ml
ABV	14.10%

Stags' Leap Winery Description

Tasting Notes

This Merlot is fresh and pure, offering a captivating bouquet of dark cherry, red berries, and perfumed rose petals intertwined with subtle baking spiced notes of cedar and clove from the well-integrated oak. On the palate, rustic yet refined tannins provide a medium body and crunchy mouth-pleasing texture, with layered flavors of black cherry, red raspberry, tobacco leaf, and rooibos tea amid a backdrop of juicy, mouthwatering acidity and a hint of tartness reminiscent of cherries jubilee. The long and savory finish has hints of sagebrush, bittersweet dark chocolate, and earthy minerality, demonstrating a harmonious balance of tension and grace—a truly beautiful and complex expression of Napa Valley Merlot.

Scores & Accolades

95
"Plenty of perfumed plum and lightly candied dark fruit as well as orange peel. Hints of dark chocolate. Medium to full body, juicy, zesty and vivid in the finish. So drinkable with lots of finesse. Gorgeous. Drink now or hold.” - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

Winemaking

The grapes for this Napa Valley Merlot underwent a two- to three-week maceration period designed to extract ideal flavor, color, and tannin from the skins. Using traditional winemaking techniques, the wine was aged in high-quality French oak barrels (38% new) for 19 months. The new oak imparts structure, ageability, and a slight spice complexity that still allows the fresh-fruit flavors to take center stage.

Vintage

The 2021 season produced exceptionally high-quality fruit, some of the best in recent years. Rain early in the year led to almost no notable precipitation for the rest of the season, providing an ideal environment for budbreak in early April, followed by flowering and bloom in May. The summer saw early and even ripening throughout the valley, with veraison appearing in early July. Low yields (in part due to drought conditions), created fruit that is intensely flavored and smaller in berry size. Harvest began with white wine grapes in late July—one of the earliest starts. Red wine grapes came in about a month later. With optimal ripening and taste, our winemakers took their time bringing grapes in, crafting wines of fantastic character, with amazing color extraction, aromatic intensity, tremendous balance and structure, that are equally lush and fruity. A tremendous year to taste the nuances and terroir distinction from around the valley.

Vineyard

Our Napa Valley Merlot is crafted with grapes from vineyards in the southern part of Napa Valley. Fruit from Oak Knoll makes up most of the blend, with the remainder sourced from the Oakville appellation and our very own Stags Leap District. Merlot can lose its varietal identity when exposed to too much heat, but the grapes from these vineyards exhibit varietal expressions of fresh fruit character, structure, and bright acidity.

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