2005 Merlot St. Helena

A wine of grace that celebrates the elegant capabilities of California fruit and a truly exceptional vintage, our 2005 Merlot might be described as European in style. Low in alcohol and high on spice, it pairs wonderfully with food. Early Girl Tomato and Piquillo pepper soup with licorice oil is a favorite. The coveted grapes hail from a prized vineyard situated behind the St. Helena Library where locals walk their dogs along trails in the heart of Napa Valley.

Rich, deep and balanced, the earthy wine is black as night in the glass and displays aromas of tobacco and leather, much like the scent of those old, bound library books. In the mouth, it’s briary, with lush, dark fruits, anise, tar, and a finish like an old-fashioned baseball pitching duel. Imagine it: the fresh-cut grass, a glove’s smooth leather, the chewing tobacco. Even the player’s eyeblack, streaked to refect the sun’s glare, matches this Merlot’s glint.

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