It’s the flagship, a benchmark for the variety domestically, and it dares pretentious self-defined Merlot haters to try and not love it. Bold and structured, you get all you could ask for — black cherry, pie spice, sweet oak, graphite and a hint of citrus zest take a long ride on fine grained tannins. Duckhorn has made a lot of great Merlot, and this may be my favorite to date.
Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) Merlot 2013
By Rich Cook