2014 Merlot (Sold Out)

“Seavey’s 2014 Merlot is fabulous. Rich, powerful and intense, the 2014 offers notable intensity and richness. Far from an easygoing wine, Seavey’s Merlot is a wine that absolutely demands attention. Black cherry, smoke, licorice, leather and incense notes add layers of exuberance, but the Merlot is very young and in need of cellaring. All of the personality of this site come through in a slightly more accessible style than in the Cabernets. This is a gorgeous wine. Don’t miss it.”  -Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Dec. 20166) 92 points

 

Tasting Notes

Wonderful notes of smoke, licorice, leather and incense. A savory and rustic wine with a classic Bordeaux-like personality that presents considerable aging potential but is also easy to enjoy now because of its delicate richness.

Ratings

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Dec. 2016) – 92 points
“Seavey’s 2014 Merlot is fabulous. Rich, powerful and intense, the 2014 offers notable intensity and richness. Far from an easygoing wine, Seavey’s Merlot is a wine that absolutely demands attention. Black cherry, smoke, licorice, leather and incense notes add layers of exuberance, but the Merlot is very young and in need of cellaring. All of the personality of this site come through in a slightly more accessible style than in the Cabernets. This is a gorgeous wine. Don’t miss it.”

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (Oct. 2016) – 90 points
“The 2014 Merlot is soft, round and juicy, with loads of chocolate, cocoa and coffee notes, a medium to full-bodied, plump mouthfeel, fine tannins and a lush, juicy finish.”

Vineyard Notes

Seavey’s 21st vintage of estate-produced Merlot, the 2014, was made from grapes that came from vines located in several different blocks of the south-facing steep hillside vineyard. The 2014 growing season was marked by scant rain. But a warm, dry spring gave way to ideal summer conditions, followed by a wonderfully mild harvest period which allowed us to patiently handpick each block at full ripeness in sequential rolling harvests starting at the top and working down, producing multiple small lots that were then separately vinified and aged.

Production Notes

Winemaking followed classic Bordeaux methods with whole-berry fermentation. In the cool of the early morning harvest, grapes were promptly de-stemmed and the uncrushed berries were gently transferred into fermentation tanks. In order to carefully manage the tannins and resulting wine texture, the grapes were neither crushed nor run through a pump. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels (40% new) for 20 months before bottling in June 2016.

100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED & BOTTLED, NAPA VALLEY AVA