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2018 Howell Mountain Estate Merlot

Howell Mountain

Howell Mountain

151 CASES

For those of you who have followed our progress with Merlot since its debut with the 2013 vintage in 2016, you should be chomping at the bit for our 2018 release. Our 2018 Merlot is a full- throttle Merlot experience with all the tannin structure and backbone that Howell Mountain brings. It couples an exotic perfume in the nose and dark cassis and wild bramble berry fruit in the mouth.

750 ml

About This Wine
Vineyard

We lost a large portion of our Merlot crop to smoke taint on the lower portion of our Candlestick property in 2018, but, mercifully, the upper blocks were completely free of any problems related to the Carr and Paradise fires that year. Unlike our 2015 vintage Merlot release that saw production spike to 700 cases, until we began to sell a good deal of that fruit to pay farming costs, we are currently only making 190 cases of this thrilling wine. At $90 per bottle for one of the great red wines produced in all the Napa Valley, our Merlot is a steal.

BLEND: 97% Merlot, 3% Malbec
CASES PRODUCED: 151

CANDLESTICK RIDGE ESTATE VINEYARD
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.

About This Wine
Vineyard

We lost a large portion of our Merlot crop to smoke taint on the lower portion of our Candlestick property in 2018, but, mercifully, the upper blocks were completely free of any problems related to the Carr and Paradise fires that year. Unlike our 2015 vintage Merlot release that saw production spike to 700 cases, until we began to sell a good deal of that fruit to pay farming costs, we are currently only making 190 cases of this thrilling wine. At $90 per bottle for one of the great red wines produced in all the Napa Valley, our Merlot is a steal.

BLEND: 97% Merlot, 3% Malbec
CASES PRODUCED: 151

CANDLESTICK RIDGE ESTATE VINEYARD
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.

About This Wine

We lost a large portion of our Merlot crop to smoke taint on the lower portion of our Candlestick property in 2018, but, mercifully, the upper blocks were completely free of any problems related to the Carr and Paradise fires that year. Unlike our 2015 vintage Merlot release that saw production spike to 700 cases, until we began to sell a good deal of that fruit to pay farming costs, we are currently only making 190 cases of this thrilling wine. At $90 per bottle for one of the great red wines produced in all the Napa Valley, our Merlot is a steal.

BLEND: 97% Merlot, 3% Malbec
CASES PRODUCED: 151

Vineyard

CANDLESTICK RIDGE ESTATE VINEYARD
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.