95 Points - Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year
1 Bottle Limit per customer, limit strictly enforced
Since our inaugural vintage in 1978, Duckhorn Vineyards has been proud to craft a vineyard-designate bottling from Three Palms. One of California’s first single-vineyard Merlots, this full-bodied wine reflects Three Palms’ unique terroir and has been a consistent benchmark for New World Merlot. Named for its three iconic palm trees, the warm, up valley vineyard features lean soils that cause the vines to send their roots deep in search of nutrients, producing an intense, age-worthy wine with complex fruit and mineral layers.
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Composition: 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot; Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 75% New Oak, 25% Neutral
Winemaker Notes
This classic expression of Three Palms Vineyard Merlot displays beautiful layers of dense dark red fruit, cedar, graphite and cream, as well as hints of wet river rock. Pure and polished on the palate, the rich flavors are underscored by firm, structured tannins and subtle sweet oak that will ensure that this stunning Merlot ages wonderfully for years to come.
Production
Here in Napa Valley, the 2014 growing season delivered our third exceptional vintage in a row, yielding wines with ideal concentration, elegant tannins and lovely varietal flavors. Though the 2013/2014 winter was one of the driest on record, heavy rains in February and March provided the vines much-needed moisture at just the right time. A warm spring triggered an early budbreak, and perfect weather throughout the summer allowed the grapes to achieve ideal ripeness with pure, focused flavors and resolved tannins. Harvest began on August 5th and ended on October 15th, and though it was quite compact, we were able to pick all of our grapes based solely on flavor, resulting in another fantastic vintage.
Other Notes
Released: April 2017