2018 Duckhorn Merlot Three Palms Vineyard Napa Valley

DEC96 Opened for 45 minutes before tasting. From the iconic Three Palms Vineyard, which delivers structured, elegant and long-lived Merlot. This vintage has 89%, plus 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec, aged 18 months in 75% new French oak. Resonant and explosive aromas belie any preconceived notions of the Merlot grape: heavenly black berries, plums and Chinese five spice. The palate boasts robes of silken black fruit, satiny blueberry and lavish oak spice infused with vanilla. With more time in the glass, elegant floral notes emerge, with long, fine-grained tannins buttressed by tangy acidity. The Cathedral of Merlots, with imposing structure and a towering presence – a sheer joy to drink. Drinking Window 2021 – 2035
Estate Notes: Since our inaugural 1978 vintage, we have been proud to craft a vineyard-designate Merlot from the legendary Three Palms Vineyard. Named for its three iconic palm trees, this warm, up-valley vineyard features lean soils that cause the vines to send their roots deep in search of nutrients, yielding a profoundly intense and age-worthy wine with complex fruit and mineral layers. As a testament to its status as the benchmark for New World Merlot, in 2017, Wine Spectator honored our 2014 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot as “Wine of the Year.” 100% estate fruit 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Malbec fermentation & aging 100% French Oak: 75% New, 25% Neutral, aged for 18 months