There are but a handful of great merlot producers in the Napa Valley (cabernet sauvignon being the money grape) and Nickel & Nickel is one of them. The Suscol Ranch is consistently among the finest merlots in America, if not the world, and the 2012 vintage is a gem. With layered aromas of blackberry, plum and black currant, this complex merlot is a Napa red for the ages and one of the most impressive merlots from the very good 2012 vintage. Beautifully structured and well balanced, another decade in the cellar under optimum conditions would hardly be a problem for this superb example of Napa Valley merlot when it’s done right.
Nickel & Nickel, Napa Valley (California) Merlot 2012
By Robert Whitley