2018 Plumpjack Napa Valley Merlot
SKU #1489594
95 points
Jeb Dunnuck
Incorporating 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Malbec, the 2018 Merlot sports a dense purple hue as well as a killer nose of cassis, black cherries, spring flowers, tobacco, spice, and even a hint of menthol. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it has a seamless, elegant texture, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is pure class and one heck of a great Merlot as well as a value. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 7-8 years, if not upwards of a decade or more.
(1/2021)
K&L Notes
PlumpJack Winery, founded by then California Governor Gavin Newsom and composer/philanthropist Gordon Getty, sits squarely in the heart of Napa Valley's renowned Oakville region, surrounded by a 42-acre estate vineyard highly-regarded for the quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon. Both the winery building and the vineyard date back to the 1880s, when winemaking pioneers first took advantage of a unique position on the valley floor. The east side of the vineyard lies along the foothills of the Vaca mountain range and yields grapes with the kind of bold fruit character that comes from well-drained hillside soils. To the west, the estate lies in the Napa River flood zone.