Tasting Notes:
Napa Cellars Merlot. Aromas of dark fruit, plum, and dried herbs. Flavours of black plum and blackberry are complemented by toffee and mocha notes. This medium-bodied wine showcases bright and balanced acidity with firm tannins and a long finish.
Food:
Roasted duck, quail or pork loin alongside a dark berry compote. Creamy au gratin potatoes or roasted leeks with spring onion and green garlic make delicious additions to complete the meal.
Region/Producer:
Napa Cellars have been making for more than 40 years. Their winery sits on the original five acres that established Napa Cellars winery in 1976 along historic Highway 29 in Oakville. They still welcome guests to their tasting room in the geodesic dome commissioned by founder Charlie Woods. And they tip their hats to the prominent Napa families, from the Franks to the Rombauers, who graced their cellar during its storied early days. Today, they carve their own path, building on that rich heritage to craft wines that are a classic, unmistakable interpretation of Napa Valley.
Despite growing up in Napa Valley, winemaker Joe Shirley didn’t know much about wine. Until, as a young man, he crossed paths with an influential wine buyer in England. When Joe returned home to Napa, having tasted some of the finest bottlings in the world, he viewed the vineyards through an entirely different lens.
Had he not discovered his passion for wine, Joe might have led a completely different life. But the life he was meant to live exists at the intersection of scientific precision and passionate artistry. It exists in the vineyard, in the cellar and, ultimately, in the glass, where a sense of place—and his expression of that place—comes to life. For Joe, wine is deeply personal.
A graduate of the world-renowned master’s program in enology at the University of California at Davis, Joe has nearly 20 harvests behind him. In 2007, he became head winemaker at Napa Cellars, where he takes a decidedly minimalist approach, letting the vineyards and the grapes speak for themselves.
For more information about the producer: https://www.napacellars.com/
