Grgich Hills Estate
2012 Estate Grown Napa Valley Merlot
Merlot
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
History repeats itself
We are thrilled, today, to offer you one of the finest Merlots we’ve tasted in all of 2015.
Today’s Grgich Hills Estate 2012 Napa Valley Merlot is a delectable, delicious and decidedly gorgeous wine that our whole tasting panel flipped over. Grgich calls this wine a Cab-lovers Merlot. We think that only tells a part of the story…
The truth is, this is a rich Merlot, but it has a food-friendliness that surpasses many a difficult-to-pair Cabernet Sauvignon. This Merlot has enough acidity to make it a very flexible and very exciting companion for many a meal. Enjoy this wine with red meat dishes, Italian fare, rich stews, BBQ - and nearly anything else you care to throw at it.
This wine is incredibly full and fragrant on the nose, with aromas of Blackberry, black cherry, cassis, cherry liqueur, raspberry, cigar box, sweet spice and toasty oak.
On the palate, you’ll experience flavors of Black cherry, blackberry preserve, smoky blueberry, cherry cordial, dark baker’s chocolate, smoky oak, earthy iron, espresso and spice.
Most of our Operatives are familiar with the wines of Grgich (we’ve been featuring them since 2007!) but if you have not yet tried one, this impressive wine will make you fall in love.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Inky dark purple hues, from the nearly opaque core out to the lovely purple edges. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Blackberry, black cherry, cassis, cherry liqueur, raspberry, cigar box, sweet spice and toasty oak. |
| Taste: | Black cherry, blackberry preserve, smoky blueberry, cherry cordial, dark baker’s chocolate, smoky oak, earthy iron, espresso and spice. |
| Finish: | Exceedingly long and very elegant. Dark fruit flavors gradually fade, giving way to chocolate, earthy flavors and spice. |
| Pairing: | Enjoy this wine as you would any rich Merlot - or Cabernet Sauvignon. That means pairing with your favorite red meat dishes. We’ll be opting for a pan-seared Porterhouse. |
What the Winery Says
- Winemaker
- Ivo Jeramaz
- Varietal
- Merlot
- Vintage
- 2012
- Appellation
- Napa Valley
- Abv
- 13.5%
- Harvest date
- October, 2012
- Sugar
- 23.8˚ Brix
- Bottling date
- March 6, 2013
- Release date
- May 2015
- TA
- 5.5 g/L
- pH
- 3.61
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 30% new French oak
- Production
- 2,467 cases