Ramsay

Napa Valley

Merlot    2000

Our sixth Ramsay Merlot is a wonderful wine from a very good vintage.  Harvest 2000 was, without question, the “harvest of the century”…(well…so far).  As years go, it was a great way to start the millennium--summer was nearly picture-perfect for grape-growing in the Napa Valley .  Bud-break was a bit early, the weather during flowering was wonderful, and we had a long, long summer with little in the way of heat-spikes.  Harvest was warm, mild and virtually rain-free. 

The grapes we harvested to make this wine came from four vineyards spread from one end of the Napa Valley to the other— Pope Valley to Carneros.  Each of these lots was fermented so that could better control the final blend.   In the end, with the exception of one small press lot, the wines were wonderfully synergistic. 

I am proud of this wine; it has a depth and richness that isn’t often found in Merlot.  The nose is full of brambles and blackberries.  The mouth carries these characters, but adds the structure and tannins that are really needed to create “mouth-feel” in a wine.  Acidity is in beautiful balance with fairly substantial alcohol.  Overall, this is the perfect red to accompany an entire range of hearty fare.  I hope that you enjoy drinking it as much as I have enjoyed making it.

Technical Data:

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