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Saddleback Cellars 2017 Napa Valley Merlot

Saddleback Cellars 2017 Napa Valley Merlot

Nicely crafted.
James Suckling
dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
JS 91
Nicely crafted.
James Suckling

Mission Codename Saddle Up

Just a dozen cases remaining!!

Welp, Nils Venge did it again. Man, it’s been a while since we had a Saddleback in the house. And we are PUMPED for this one. Tasted blind you’d easily mistake it for a top-tier Cabernet. Big, inky, and dark, it brings ALLLL that smoke and then some.

The only light part? The price. Normally $56. Shave a Jackson off and you land at our certified, best-in-the-country deal.

Before we dive in, let’s be clear. This is a FULL THROTTLE, Big Baller Swaller Merlot. Muscular and rich, lavish, and concentrated, this will SHOCK your dear Aunt Suzanne who lives on Barefoot. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone who wants a breezy light tipple, but totally for the Cabernet lovers out there.

Of course, we always expect good things from Nils Venge and Saddleback. The latter is a fixture in Oakville, around since the 1970s. Nils established the winery in the late 1970s, on 14 prime acres just behind Opus One. Crafting the first ever perfect 100pt scoring California wine - Groth’s 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon. He helped propel Charles Krug, Mount Eden, Sterling, Saddleback and Groth into the forefront of California’s wine scene. In other words, he’s got the skillz.

Maybe you had the Cougar’s Creek we offered, or another one of his Saddleback wines. This is more of the same style. Aged in both French and American oak, so it has a definite toasty side to it. Expect a rollicking tour de force of crushed blackberry, plums, baking spices, prunes, and that toasty, coconut, and vanilla oak thang coursing through it. Quite the structure, too, with a sturdy but smooth tannic backbone holding it up. If extracted and extravagant is your thing, this is your jam.

What else can we say other than, get some while it’s here! Because it won’t last.

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What the Winery Says 2017 Napa Valley Merlot

Saddleback Cellars
Saddleback Cellars
Winemaker
Nils Venge
Vintage
2017
Varietals
100% Merlot
Region
Oakville, Napa Valley
Alcohol
14.5%
Acidity
6.5 g/L
pH
3.90
Aging
20 months in 60% new French and 10% new American oak
Harvest dates
October 10-25, 2017
Sugar at harvest
24.80 Brix
Bottling date
May 30, 2019

About the Winery Saddleback Cellars

Saddleback Cellars Winemaker Nils Venge
Saddleback Cellars Winemaker Nils Venge
Saddleback Cellars 2017 Napa Valley Merlot 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Dec 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm
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Saddleback Cellars 2017 Napa Valley Merlot 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Dec 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm
Register to get notified when this wine is back in stock:
Sign Up For Free