July 17, 2013 – Wine: 2007 Duckhorn Merlot

I really enjoy a well-made Merlot, but thanks to aggressive editing of the movie Sideways, where the character’s disdain for Merlot is left in but the reason behind it was edited out, finding a good Merlot has been a bit of an effort this past decade.  It’s worth noting that the scene where the character associates Merlot with the emotional baggage of his divorce was the one cut and would likely have spared this great wine’s fate.  There are a few remarkable Merlots produced in Napa Valley, most notably those from Newton, Provenance, Shafer, Whitehall Lane, and this wine from Duckhorn.  Duckhorn’s apparent focus is on elegance and expressing Merlot’s best characteristics.  After about an hour open, this wine had a nice nose, with a balanced palette featuring raspberry, blackberry, dark cherry, minerals, and baking spices.  This was my last half-bottle of 2007 Duckhorn, but I am looking forward to the 2009’s.

2009 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot