2017 Howell Mountain Merlot

Howell Mountain

LIMITED RELEASE

The 2017 Howell Mountain Merlot is sourced primarily from a small section of our Candlestick Ridge Estate Vineyard along the northern boundary of the summit ridge of Howell Mountain. For those of you who love the powerful, supple wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, this is a Merlot for you. We blend 10% Cabernet Sauvignon into this wine to provide additional structure and depth.

750 ml

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The 2017 Howell Mountain Merlot is sourced primarily from a small section of our Candlestick Ridge Estate Vineyard along the northern boundary of the summit ridge of Howell Mountain. Volcanic, shallow soils and low yields lead to tiny berry size and intense flavors in the finished wines. For those of you who love the powerful, supple wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, this is a Merlot for you. We blend 20% Cabernet Sauvignon into this wine from less tannic lots to help soften this wine.

The case production is tiny — just 326 cases. Many of you have discovered the beauty of this wine after coming into taste it for the first time. Don’t sleep on the 2017 release; there is only a little.

BLEND: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
HARVEST DATES: September 11 - October 13, 2017
AVERAGE SUGAR: 24.6° Brix | TA: 5.9g/L | PH: 3.75 | ALCOHOL: 14.29%
BARREL AGING: 18 mo. French oak; 50% new. Unfiltered & unfined.
BOTTLING DATE: April 25, 2019
CASES PRODUCED: 326

Situated on the north end of the Howell Mountain summit cap at 2,250’ of elevation, this 26-acre vineyard, first planted in 1950, rests on a plateau overlooking the southeast face of Mount St Helena and the whole of Pope Valley. Replanted by Duckhorn Winery in 1998 to primarily Bordeaux varieties on varying rootstocks, the Candlestick Vineyard produces wines that are dense, dark and explosive with flavor. The pure white volcanic ash and Tufa soils are poor and well drained leading to low yields and intensely flavored berries.

Just beautiful up-front fruit merges with tremendous flesh and powerful structure, providing the scaffolding necessary to age Merlot into its next glorious phase in bottle. Dense mouthfeel combines with deep color, tremendous flesh and powerful structure in this gorgeous example of Napa Valley Mountain Merlot. 2017 captures the dark, intense fruit from our Candlestick Ridge Vineyard. Will cellar for decades.

2017 Howell Mountain Merlot

About This Wine

Vineyard

Tasting Notes

2017 Howell Mountain Merlot

About This Wine

Vineyard

Tasting Notes

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