2001 Merryvale "Reserve" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

91 points Wine Enthusiast: "A beautiful Cab, soft and luscious, with nuances that keep you coming back. Blackcurrant, cassis, coffee, green olive and smoky oak flavors are wrapped in easy tannins that finish smooth and gentle. Delicious. Drink now." (02/05) And, according to the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "9% Merlot. Here is a happy case where a winery's supposedly lesser effort outshines its far more expensive sibling. Showing both polish and potential in its presentation of optimally ripened cherries and rich, vanilla-bean oak, this plush and plummy wine hangs on to a lengthy line of fruit even as its tannins take hold at the finish. Better in a couple of years, and better yet in five, it is solid performer at the price and demonstrates much of what is right with the 2001 vintage." (12/04) The 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was blended from a number of vineyards throughout the mid and southern Napa Valley. Harvest was relatively early and all the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards performed very well giving winemakers many excellent lots to choose from. A few barrels of one of Merryvale's best Merlot lots went into the blend to round out the mouthfeel a little. Aged 18 months in 100% French oak Bordeaux chateau ferre barrels (75% new) and bottled unfined and unfiltered.