Palate
Expressively intriguing, focused and layered, the 2015 O’Brien Estate Merlot presents a stimulating blend of fruit and earth. Bold, classic and defined mixed cherry, red plum, and kirsch meld with the intricacy of spicy cedar, fresh humus, tobacco leaves, medium espresso roast, and toast in a medium bodied wine that finishes with spicy-sweet tannins that gently caress the palate.
Growing Conditions
The 2015 growing season in Napa Valley started out with unseasonably warm temperatures in the late winter and early spring. This resulted in an early bud break and bloom… The harvest was one of the earliest on record in Napa Valley, beginning on July 22 with the picking of grapes for sparkling wine, and concluding for most all vintners and growers in the valley by mid-October. While ongoing drought was of great concern to farmers around California, Napa Valley received 75% of normal rainfall for the water.
