2016 CLOS DU VAL ESTATE MERLOT
WINEMAKER: Ted Henry
REGION: Napa Valley
VARIETALS: Merlot (97%), Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5%),
Petit Verdot (1.5%)
MATURATION: 20 months in French and Hungarian oak barriques (40%new)
ANALYSIS: 14.8% alc/vol | TA: 6.4 g/L | pH: 3.6
VINTAGE NOTES: The 2016 growing season started two to three weeks early and progressed perfectly through the ripening process. The lack of rain during fl owering resulted in a plentiful crop and instead of having very warm temperatures over the summer, we had cooling patterns throughout the season that lengthened harvest. The longer growing season yielded high quality grapes with the last blocks arriving at the winery on October 14th which happened to be the fi rst day we saw rain for the season
TASTING NOTES: The 2016 Estate Merlot opens with a holiday spice aroma that layers over a hint of menthol. Flavors of red cherry, graham cracker and candied fruit dance on the palate with a silky, smooth mouthfeel. The wine’s solid tannin structure melts away slowly leaving a refreshing fruit fi nish.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM: 90 pts Wine Spectator, 90 pts Wine Enthusiast
ABOUT CLOS DU VAL: Clos Du Val, French for “small vineyard estate of a small valley,” was founded in 1972 in the renowned Stags Leap District. The winery was fi rst recognized for its Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at the famed Judgment of Paris in 1976, establishing its place as one of Napa Valley’s most iconic winery estates. Still family-owned today, Clos Du Val farms 350 acres of estate vineyards in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District, Carneros and Yountville sub-appellations. The winery also continues to craft wines of balance and complexity, showcasing the fruit from the outstanding terroir on which the estate lies.