I’m not sure if anyone loves Merlot more than we do here at Markham Vineyards? Our dedication goes all the way back to 1980 when our very first Merlot was made from Nathan Fay’s grapes in the Stag’s Leap District. It led to growing Merlot on all of our estate ranches and continues to be 30% of our vineyard portfolio. Our 2014 celebrates its 35th bottling in all the cherry pie goodness for which it has been known!
From the winemaker – “A true Napa Valley blend of vineyards! Our Estate vineyards provide the backbone for the blend, totaling 50% of this bottling. Merlot from Oak Knoll gives sour cherry character while the Yountville components provide the classic Bing cherry aromas and flavors for which our Merlot is known. The
jammy notes come from blending in warmer up-valley fruit from Calistoga vineyards. Much care is taken to maximize the filtered light and allow the Merlot to hang freely within the canopy during harvest. This allows the fruit to mature and color evenly, leaving any vegetal hints behind. The wines are sent to barrels as individual lots to mature, allowing for greater understanding of the direct impact of our viticultural and fermentation practices each vintage.”
Rating:
This wine was given a 89 point rating by Wine Spectator.
Chateau St. Jean was built on a family’s dream to create a world-class winery in the heart of Sonoma. With its gracious style, elegant architecture, beautiful gardens and inviting tasting rooms, Chateau St. Jean has long been recognized as the quintessential Sonoma winery. Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren uses her more than 30 years of vineyard and winemaking expertise with Chateau St. Jean to highlight the best of each vineyard in the wines.
Since 1978, Duckhorn Vineyards has been exploring the character and complexity of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Drawing on our winemaking team’s expertise working with this varietal, Decoy Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon offers a rich and appealing expression of the varietal crafted to be ready upon release.
Ghost Pines knows no boundaries. Without the restriction of traditional winegrowing boundaries, the grapes for Ghost Pines wines are chosen from California’s best regions solely for their quality and flavor. This philosophy delivers wines of consistent quality and a distinct combination of richness, smoothness and balance that could never be mistaken for ordinary. Named for the indigenous Gray Pines dotting Northern California’s hillsides, Ghost Pines embodies the progressive spirit of California winemaking and inspires a sense of individuality.
The 2014 vintage was a truly remarkable year for grape growing in Napa Valley. We had a warmer spring followed by a beautiful warm summer and very pleasant fall. It was a stark contrast to the challenges of recent vintages. No frost, no rain, no hail, no long stretches of high heat. The consistent temperatures allowed the grapes to develop slowly and evenly, encouraging a rich crop of fully mature grapes. It was a classic growing season with great quality and large quantity.
Our founder Joe Martin was the first grower to plant Merlot in Sonoma Valley. Merlot thrives in this picturesque valley where warm days are cooled by evening breezes and fog from the Pacific Ocean. The grapes in our Sonoma Valley Merlot come from our Certified Sustainable Estate Behler and Wild Oak vineyards, as well as from top growers throughout the area. Each carefully selected vineyard contributes distinctive and individual qualities to the finished wine.
Estancia relies on the benefits of boutique-style winemaking techniques, including whole-cluster fermentation, gentle punch downs, and basket pressing. Our Monterey-based winery uses gentle gravity flow systems to minimize aggressive tannins and bitterness. It is this hands-on crafting of the wines—from grapes to bottle—that results in our consistent and superior wine quality.
Primarius Pinot Nior represents Oregon’s finest cool climate regions and are a true reflection of the state’s most famed varietal, Pinot Noir. Made up of 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Syrah.
The story of Chateau Souverain begins in 1944 when J. Leland “Lee” Stewart harvested his first crop of grapes from Howell Mountain vineyard in Napa Valley. In the years that followed, Stewart used innovation, meticulous standards and his natural gift for winemaking to establish Souverain as one of the great California wineries.
ShopRite Wines & Spirits 