Cakebread Merlot 2019 Napa Valley (75cl, 14.8%)

A Napa Valley Merlot blended with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, from Cakebread Cellars. The fruit comes primarily from the Suscol Springs Estate vineyard at the southern end of Napa Valley, where vines grow in rocky Hambright outcrop soils on steep, south-facing hillsides. The wine was fermented in small closed and open-top stainless steel tanks with pumpovers, then aged in French oak barrels, approximately one-third new, for a total of roughly fifteen to nineteen months. It shows ripe blackberry, black plum, black cherry, plum compote and blackcurrant, with vanilla, dark coffee and herbal spice. The palate is lush and full, with chocolate-tinged black fruit, tobacco and earthiness, finishing long and rich with spice and refined tannins.