Reviews & Ratings

2009 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot "Napa Valley"

Winery: Duckhorn Vineyards

Vintage: 2009

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Napa Valley"

Wine Category: Merlot

Grape blend: 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, & 6% Cabernet Franc

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Napa Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $52

Cases produced: 29,234

KWG Score: 92.2 (based on 4 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (92)

Review date: September 12, 2012

Wine Review: This opaque and very dark purple colored Napa Merlot from Duckhorn won our recent blind tasting. It opens with a fragrant red currant bouquet with a hint of eucalyptus, smoky oak and red beet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced, and shows nice structure. The flavor profile is a tasty mild red currant with notes of black plum jam mixed in. We also detected a touch of cinnamon and old oak mixes well. The finish is dry and its moderate sticky tannins linger for quite a while. This offering was built to last the longest of the Merlots we covered. The panel suggested pairing it with a grilled NY strip steak with shiitake mushrooms and Stuart's Brussel sprouts. Enjoy – KWGTP

Winemaker Notes: This wine displays all of the benefits of slow, even ripening during a mild growing season. Though there is fullness and a lush character to this Merlot, there is also restraint and elegance. Promising aromas of cherry, red plum, raspberry, and dried herbs lead to a clean fresh entry with impeccably balanced acidity supporting intense red fruit flavors of cranberry, plum and raspberry. Round, supple tannins provide an enticing framework for the flavors and contribute to a lingering finish.

Buy it: Use 1000 Corks to find stores that sell Duckhorn 2009 Napa Valley Merlot.