2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Saint Helena

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Estate Grown and Bottled

Winemaking

Merryvale’s Profile Estate Vineyard lies on an eastern ridge overlooking the Napa Valley at almost 1,000 feet of elevation. Planted in 1997, this vineyard consistently delivers grapes that stand out for their plush fruit character, complexity and silky tannins. The fruit was harvested at night in small picking lugs, then destemmed and double sorted at the winery. Each tank was gravity filled and the fruit was cold soaked for 5 days. Native yeast fermentation began after that and reached peak temperatures of 90°F. Pump-overs were done twice a day for a total maceration time between 15 to 21 days. The wines were then pressed and barreled down where malolactic fermentation occurred. We aged the wine for 26 months in 80% new French oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes

The wine shows intense and complex nose showcasing ample fruit such as dried raspberry, cassis, and blueberry while maintaining a freshness in the background of sage, Castelvetrano olive, and rhubarb and those diverse aromatics are all knitted together by the subtle use of new oak showing hints of cigar box. On the palate, the wine is still tightly wound after over a year in bottle, but the decision to leave it in the cellar to mature 5 months longer than usual allowed the dense tannins to relax and show an elegant structure which will continue to develop for many years to come. Enjoy now and over the next 10+ years.