RATINGS

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (Oct. 2016) - 90 points
"The 2014 Merlot is soft, round and juicy, with loads of chocolate, cocoa and coffee notes, a medium to full-bodied, plump mouthfeel, fine tannins and a lush, juicy finish."

VINEYARD NOTES

Seavey's 21st vintage of estate-produced Merlot, the 2014, was made from grapes that came from vines located in several different blocks of the south-facing steep hillside vineyard. The 2014 growing season was marked by scant rain. But a warm, dry spring gave way to ideal summer conditions, followed by a wonderfully mild harvest period which allowed us to patiently handpick each block at full ripeness in sequential rolling harvests starting at the top and working down, producing multiple small lots that were then separately vinified and aged.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Winemaking followed classic Bordeaux methods with whole-berry fermentation. In the cool of the early morning harvest, grapes were promptly de-stemmed and the uncrushed berries were gently transferred into fermentation tanks. In order to carefully manage the tannins and resulting wine texture, the grapes were neither crushed nor run through a pump. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels (40% new) for 20 months before bottling in June 2016.

100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED & BOTTLED, NAPA VALLEY AVA