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.
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.
Raymond Vineyard’s Sommelier Selection Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted by a group of influential sommeliers at the finest restaurants and inspired by the rich history of our world-renowned winegrowing region. We used Cabernet grapes from three unique appellations, resulting in a fun and diverse wine made to enjoy. Napa Valley is the backbone of the blend, with its terroir providing the fullest expression of black fruits and integrated tannins; Sonoma County’s fog influence produces grapes that give the wine structure, balance and acidity; Lake County’s growing season is short, making for red, jammy wines that are easy to enjoy.
After a string of highly regarded Washington vintages, Winemaker Sean Hails created our Red Blend wine using fruit from across several recent years, selecting his favorite lots to showcase the art of blending. Our Red Blend wine is crafted with fruit sourced across the Columbia Valley, including Yakima Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope and a small portion of Red Mountain. All together, the fruit from these prized AVAs results in a red blend wine that speaks Washington.
The story of our founder is as long as it is colorful. One of California’s first sheriffs, Agoston Haraszthy was elected the Sheriff of San Diego County in 1850. He built the first jail and served two exciting years before moving north to pursue “purple gold” and the perfect terroir for fine wines. He found it in Sonoma County where he established Buena Vista Winery in 1857. It is his legacy that inspired this wine and the work of sheriffs everywhere that we honor with its release.
Since 1883, five generations of our family have handcrafted fine wines that express the very best of our vineyards and winemaking expertise. Our Estate Grown Sandstone Merlot come from a gently sloping formation of hills running along the southeastern corner of the historic Livermore Valley. With warm days, cool nights, well-drained sandstone soils, and incoming breezes from the San Francisco Bay, the Wente family’s hillside vineyard is an ideal place to grow outstanding Merlot.
Building on the traditions established by our acclaimed Goldeneye and Migration wines, Decoy Pinot Noir expands our exploration of the depth and diversity of this varietal to Sonoma County winegrowing. Highlighting a distinctly plush and approachable expression of Pinot Noir, Decoy is crafted to be ready upon release. Varietal Content 100% Pinot Noir Cooperage 100% French Oak Burgundy Barrels (60 Gallons) Barrel Aging: 7 Months Age of Barrels: 25% new, 75% second vintage
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.
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.
B Side wines tell the story of the flip-side of Napa Valley. Nestled in rural areas and rolling hills along the eastern edge of the valley, these vineyards are just a few miles from the glamorous, high-priced wineries featured along Highway 29. The eastern side of Napa Valley includes areas such as Pope Valley, Chiles Valley, Wooden Valley, Stags Leap District and lower Calistoga. Vines in these areas are grown in thin volcanic soils, which yield smaller, more concentrated fruit.
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