Nose

Varietal Merlot characters of ripe plums, currants and
blueberries dominate with wild berries and herbs and a touch of
mocha providing additional complexity.

Palate

The structure is typical
of Spring Mountain, gravelly graphite tannins that are ripe and
support perfectly the luscious fruit intensity.

Growing Conditions

Our 2014 Unfiltered Merlot was harvested exclusively from the
Newton estate on the hillsides of Spring Mountain which is home
to some of the Napa Valley’s oldest Merlot vines. Our Spring
Mountain estate is comprised of 112 unique blocks with varying
soils, altitude and aspect, the vineyards are intertwined with
lushly forested terrain creating distinct microclimates, perfect
for producing wonderful complexity in the resultant wine. The
2014 vintage was blended from 8 unique parcels of fruit.

The drought that has impacted much of California from 2012
continued to keep rainfall levels below 50% of average and
maintained growing season heat summation above average for the
harvest. The warm and dry conditions promotes excellent quality
and when combined with above average yields the potential of the
2014 vintage is outstanding across all varieties.

Harvest

September 9 - October 15, 2014

Winemaking

Once harvested, our Merlot grapes were sorted using an optical
sorter that inspects individual berries to ensure uniform, perfect
ripeness. The must then underwent five days of a cold maceration
followed by seven days of fermentation. The wine then rested
on the skins for up to two weeks longer to develop additional
complexity before pressing

Aging

Aging for 14 months in French
oak barrels, 30 percent of which was new.

Food Pairing

With a great pedigree of long term drinkability this wine will
reward over 10 years in the cellar.