Name: Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley 2022 750ml
Brand: Duckhorn
SKU: 964939
Price: 56.53 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 92 (4 reviews)

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Winery

Duckhorn

Shop all from Duckhorn

Varietal

Merlot

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

Country

United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

Region

California

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

Appellation

Napa Valley

When it comes to New World wines, and especially wines from the United States of America, Napa Valley is something of a standard bearer. Over its relatively short history, it has managed to transform itself from being a fairly insignificant region, to becoming one of the most important and highly regarding wine locations on earth. With an ideal climate for viticulture, blazing sunshine and a low level of rainfall, this valley is shielded on many sides by mountain ranges which help it maintain a consistent level of heat, light and moisture throughout the year. Today, Napa Valley is a home of innovation and quality, with dozens of grape varietals thriving in the fertile soils. However, the main varietals grown there have always been Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zinfandel, and the wines they produce are constantly lauded by critics and competitions across the globe.

WS 92pts

Wine Spectator

Vibrant and polished, with elegantly complex cherry and red currant flavors that take on hints of toasty spices and tomato leaf as this sails toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032. 80,000 cases made.

JS 92pts

James Suckling

A dark-fruited, fleshy red with ripe blackberries, dark chocolate, licorice and hints of wet stones on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with a lively pace, showing silky tannins and a smooth, lingering finish. Drink or hold.

WE 92pts

Wine Enthusiast

Balanced and pleasing, this Merlot delivers blackberries and plum, oak spices and a splash of black cherry cola. Firm while polished tannins complete the wine.

DC 92pts

Decanter

An instant classic, the Duckhorn Merlot from the 2022 vintage is a beautifully structured and highly enjoyable wine, sourced from select sites in Oak Knoll, Carneros, Calistoga, Yountville and St Helena. It was aged for 15 months in 40% new French oak. A panoply of red berry fruit, red florals, and fragrant baking spices, such as coriander and cardamom, rise from the glass. Tart berry fruit shows on the palate, framed by sinewy tannins and complemented by a white pepper and slate-stone mineral finish, marked by classic hints of cocoa powder and wild herbs.

Winery Notes

Our Napa Merlot is blended to show off the complexity and balance of a young wine. This vintage is a full-bodied wine with a lush entry, refined tannins, and an elegant finish. The aroma is sweet with toffee, dark chocolate, blackberry pie, and black cherry complemented by dried herbs, cedar and vanilla. The flavors in the mouth are ripe plum, strawberry jam, toasted oak, and caramel, accented by a lingering finish.