91 Points - Wine Spectator
2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Carneros Napa Valley Merlot
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After falling in love with Merlot during a visit to Bordeaux, Dan Duckhorn started producing Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot in 1978. In the years since, grapes from the Napa portion of Carneros have played a pivotal role in our Napa Valley Merlot program. Influenced by the cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean, Carneros is ideally suited for growing exceptional Merlot, yielding a wine with beautiful structure, velvety texture and lovely layers of plum and mulberry.
Wine Spectator
91
Wine Enthusiast
90
Wine Review Online
93
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Varietal Content: 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon; Cooperage: 100% French oak, 50% New, 50% Neutral
Winemaker Notes
Intense aromas of bright cherry, strawberry and plum explode from the glass followed by subtler notes of leather, licorice, vanilla and tea leaves. The bright red fruit continues on the elegant palate, where ripe berry flavors and hints of chocolate, rose petal and anise are framed by dusty tannins that accentuate a long, lingering finish.
Production
Here in Napa Valley, the 2014 growing season delivered our third exceptional vintage in a row, yielding wines with ideal concentration, elegant tannins and lovely varietal flavors. Though the 2013/2014 winter was one of the driest on record, heavy rains in February and March provided the vines much-needed moisture at just the right time. A warm spring triggered an early budbreak, and perfect weather throughout the summer allowed the grapes to achieve ideal ripeness with pure, focused flavors and resolved tannins. Harvest began on August 5th and ended on October 15th, and though it was quite compact, we were able to pick all of our grapes based solely on flavor, resulting in another fantastic vintage.
Other Notes
Released: March 2017
Wine Specs
Wine Specs
Vintage
2014
Varietal
Merlot
Appellation
Carneros
Harvest Date
September 22 – October 8, 2014
Sugar
26.7° Brix
Acid
0.59 g/100 ml titratable acidity
pH
3.56
Aging
15 Months in Barrel
Fermentation
10-12 days fermentation at 82°F
Alcohol %
14.9
Wine Spectator
91
Wine Enthusiast
90
Wine Review Online
93