Silverado has always had a deft hand with merlot, embracing the grape and treating it with the respect other vintners in the neighborhood reserve for cabernet sauvignon. This Silverado merlot from the winery’s Mt George Vineyard is a beautiful Napa Valley red wine at a relatively modest price for its pedigree. Even at five years of age this is a remarkably firm Napa Valley merlot, with abundant tannins that support a core of ripe dark berry fruit. It has just the right touch of oak, adding spice without astringency.
Silverado Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) Merlot 2008
By Robert Whitley