BARLOW
2014 MERLOT
CALISTOGA
Many of California’s best Merlots come from the sleepy town of Calistoga, on the Northern-most end of Napa Valley. The area is distinguished by volcanic soils and the largest diurnal temperature variation in Napa Valley. Daytime highs and night time lows span up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and while the hot daytime temperatures allow the grapes to develop deep and compelling flavors, the cool nights help to maintain acidity and structure. With all of the contributing factors working in unison, this area has proven that it can produce some of the best Merlot in California… Just look at last year’s #1 wine in the Wine Spectator. Interestingly, Duckhorn’s iconic 3 Palms Vineyard is just a short distance from Barlow’s Estate Vineyard and I believe the micro-climate on the South-Eastern edge of Calistoga where both of these Merlots originate is perfectly suited to produce some of Napa’s best Merlot.
Barlow’s Estate Vineyard is farmed by father and son team and you can literally taste the care that goes into each bottle. They produce just over 300 cases of their Merlot and at $35/btl the level of quality is literally shocking when you taste it. The 2014 was housed for 22 months in oak and has blossomed for 2 years in the bottle. You simply have to try this…
BARLOW
2014 MERLOT
CALISTOGA
Your Price: $34.99/btl
Winery Notes: “The 2014 Barlow Merlot has a deep, concentrated violet-purple color with aromas of rich raspberry, ripe red cherry with an essence of sweet French vanilla. The palate is highly concentrated with deep and generous flavors of currants, blueberries and Bing cherries. The tannins are soft and luxurious and are a great counterpart to the sweet flavors of toasty oak.”
308 Cases Produced
Customers who enjoy Barlow’s Calistoga Merlot, may also enjoy these two terrific Merlots…
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DUCKHORN
2015 MERLOT
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $56/btl
Your Price: $45/btl
The consensus in the wine industry points to Merlot being back and with serious vigor. The varietal took a hit in 2004 with the debut of the movie Sideways which besmirched Merlot causing US Merlot sales to crater. A study by Vineyard Financial Associates estimates that it cost Merlot farmers over 400M in lost revenue in the decade following the movie. Of course none of that made Duckhorn blink, in fact they’ve been climbing to new heights, and recently went on to become the #1 Wine in the World on the 2017 Wine Spectator Top 100 list with their 2014 Three Palms Merlot.
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FROSTWATCH
2014 MERLOT
BENNETT VALLEY
Your Price: $34.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Merlot is scented of red and black plums, dried Mediterranean herbs, vanilla and spice box. Full-bodied in the mouth, it has a relatively tannic backbone dominating the fruit and drying out the finish slightly, but there is a lot of expressive fruit to love and it should reward another 3-5 years in bottle.” 90+ Points |
