Merryvale Wine tasting with winemaker Simon Faury

The memory of some bottles can stay with your for life. While the wine doesn't have to be old and rare, a great old bottle can be like a time capsule, capturing in its flavors and aromas the time and place of its creation.
MIREILLE GUILIANO, French Women for All Seasons

We have a lot of great events coming up in the month of April and we start the month off with two of Napa Valley's hottest producers. 

Wednesday April 1st we have dinner with Shannon Staglin at Michael Mina's Stripsteak in the Fountainbleau Hotel.  If you have not been to this restaurant in this historic property on Miami Beach this is the perfect opportunity.  Check out our calendar of events for the menu and line-up of wines that will be on the table for this event.

Then the next night Thursday, April 2 we have one of the top wineries to visit in St. Helen, Merryvale Winery.  Some of our wine drinking people with stronger constitutions would tell you the reason is because Merryvale’s tasting room is open till 6pm so you tasters that never want to quit usually end up here as it is one of the only wineries in Napa open past 4:30.  But… the wines are also outstanding with their top iconic Bordeaux blend, Profile being one of the best wines in its class in any given vintage.  I remember when the winery used to conduct blind tastings with Profile versus other top level wines from Napa including; Insignia, Opus one, SLWC Cask 23, etc. and the Profile always finished in one of the top spots usually 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.

Join us as we taste through the new releases from this landmark winery along with a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines prepared by Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone.  The fee for this tasting is $95+ tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Merryvale Wine tasting at Wine Watch
 with winemaker Simon Faury
Thursday April 2nd
7pm

2013 Merryvale Napa Sauvignon Blanc
Price: $24.00       Sale $21.12          Case $245

A blend of 89% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Semillon.  Pale straw in color, with aromas of fresh pineapple, mandarin, honeydew melon, key lime/lime leaf, and jasmine. On the palate, the bright entry leads to a full mid-palate with bright acid and flavors of citrus (grapefruit and lime), melon, and hints of tropical fruit. The finish is clean and lengthy with mineral notes.

2013 Merryvale Chardonnay Carneros
Price: $33.00       Sale $29.04          Case $337

This wine is vibrant gold in color with aromas of jasmine, ripe, sweet pear and peach, pineapple, popcorn, golden delicious apple, toffee, and vanilla bean. The smooth, bright entry offers the prelude to an elegant, delicate wine with lots of personality, weight and volume. The acidity is well balanced by the flavor and texture of the wine. Flavors of ripe fruits are accented by complex barrel notes, leading to a lengthy, sophisticated finish.

2012 Merryvale Pinot Noir Carneros
Price: $36.00       Sale $31.68          Case $368

Dark ruby red in color with some violet notes and medium density, with complex aromas of black cherry, earth, graham cracker, and cassis. On the palate, it is soft with resolved tannins to balance a nice acidic backbone. The wine has a lingering finish of red cherry and spice.

2012 Merryvale Merlot Napa
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

A blend of 89% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes:  Our Napa Valley Merlot displays notes of dark fruit, including blackberry, black currant and plum, along with leather interwoven with floral and chocolate notes. The mouthfeel is dense and ripe with a broad entry followed by rich and velvety tannins. A refreshing acidity enhances the finish of this wine. This 2012 Merlot is a wine that exemplifies balance, ripeness and elegance.

2010 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $63.00       Sale $55.44          Case $643

A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes:  This wine is very dark in color with intense aromas of blackberry, cassis, graphite, vanilla and cedar. The palate shows intense notes of boysenberry, plum, blueberry, camphor, smoke, coffee, cedar, and Asian spices.

Antigua – Fortified Muscat , Multiple barrel aged vintages blended together , Modified solera.  (500ml)
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

100% Muscat de Frontignan
Tasting Notes:  Golden/amber in color from its long aging in French oak, the wine is a complex combination of nuts and orange-peel aromas. Thick and rich in the mouth, the nuts and orange-peel theme continues from the entry through the long finish, highlighted by the many subtleties from the fine brandy and time in the barrel.

Menu:

Salmon Carpaccio with Grapefruit, fresh basil and Lavender Lemon Aioli

Crispy Seared duck breast Lacquered with Lingon berry glaze served with honey glazed matchstick Carrot and whipped Buttermilk Mash

A bit about Simon:

Simon Faury’s early years were divided between Lyon, Champagne and the Alps. Needless to say, growing up in France – especially the Rhone Valley – gave him access and exposure to some of the world’s greatest wines. In 2002, at the age of 17, a tasting of Côtes Rôtie and Condrieu inspired him to pursue a career in the wine industry.

Simon studied Agronomy and Viticulture in Turin, Italy before earning his Winemaking Masters in Bordeaux. After school he traveled extensively working in some of the world’s most prestigious wine regions including Barbaresco, Barolo, Bordeaux (Domaine de Chevalier, Château Pichon Longueville Baron) and Mendoza (Bordega Michael Rolland). In the Napa Valley his resume includes Robert Mondavi, The Napa Valley Reserve, Harlan Estate and Merryvale.

Working with a number of varieties under diverse growing conditions has had a major impact on his philosophy and understanding of wine. “Great wines possess refinement, depth, character and personality. They elicit joy and emotion. They are the result of attention to the vineyard and respect for the fruit.”

As Winemaker, Simon is in charge of production at the St. Helena winery. He works closely with Senior Winemaker Sean Foster, who oversees all winemaking operations for Schlatter Family Wines, and consultant Craig Williams. Simon focuses on terroir and understanding soils, develops and implements winemaking techniques, creates and fine-tunes the blends, and manages quality during bottling. Viticulturally, Simon is very involved in the farming at the Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard and works directly with the growers from whom Merryvale sources fruit. He has input and/or control over irrigation, organic farming, pruning, canopy management and crop loads.

“Merryvale’s Schlatter Family Estate Vineyard is one of the finest sites in Napa. It is a beauty capable of producing tremendous Cabernets from its diverse terroir. As we expand our understanding of this extraordinary hillside property we can refine our viticultural and winemaking practices to develop even more depth, density and smoothness in our wines.”

Other wines from Merryvale available:

2011 Merryvale Profile (Magnum)
Price: $405.00    Sale $356.40      

2011 Merryvale Profile Napa
Price: $180.00    Sale $158.40       Case $1836

Profile is a proprietary red blend and our flagship wine since the first vintage in 1983. Recognized as one of Napa Valley’s iconic red wines, the fruit for this wine is sourced from the Schlatter family’s hillside estate vineyard east of St. Helena. A combination of great terroir, intensive farming methods and innovative winemaking ensures that Profile will continue to exemplify the best of each vintage.

2012 Merryvale Silhouette Chardonnay
Price: $72.00       Sale $63.36          Case $735

The elegant Silhouette Chardonnay showcases fruit from our estate vineyard in Carneros. Carefully selected lots, attentive winemaking and an oak program tailored to this very limited production wine create a rich and complex Chardonnay that represents the best of the Napa Valley.

Starmont – the second label of Merryvale but at half the price these wines really over deliver

Starmont Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Price: $18.00       Sale $15.84          Case $184

A blend of 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon.  Pale straw yellow in color, the 2013 Starmont Sauvignon Blanc displays fresh aromas of grapefruit, melon and lime leaf. The bright entry leads to medium weight and nice acid through the palate with flavors of citrus, melon and fresh hay. The finish is lengthy and refreshing.

Starmont Chardonnay Carneros 2012
Price: $18.00       Sale $15.84          Case $184

Rich, round and seamless, these wines are made from our finest barrels of Chardonnay - with distinct, opulent aromas and flavors specific to their appellation.

Starmont Stanley Ranch Chardonnay 2012
Price: $36.00       Sale $31.68          Case $368

The 2012 Starmont Stanly Ranch Chardonnay displays aromas of bright citrus, pastry, orange marmalade, butterscotch, lemon meringue, and cinnamon with clean, mineral notes. There is bright acid on the entry to mid-palate with lots of fruit concentration including citrus and pineapple. The wine is rich and full bodied, yet stylish and graceful. It is fleshy with good weight and has a very clean, lengthy finish with pastry notes and minerality.

Starmont Merlot Napa 2012
Price: $24.00       Sale $21.12          Case $245

A bend of 99% Merlot and 1 % Petit Verdot.  The 2012 Starmont Carneros Merlot is surprisingly dark with bright cherry, blueberry and currant aromatics on top of coffee/mocha, toast and cranberry. The palate is lush and velvety with good weight and soft tannins. The wine displays great richness, without being heavy or excessive. In short, it is quintessential Carneros Merlot.

Starmont Pinot Noir Carneros 2012
Price: $22.50       Sale $19.80          Case $230

The 2012 Starmont Pinot Noir bottling delivers ripe aromas of red cherry, strawberry, green tea and spice. The palate is round, earthy and juicy with great acidity and fine supporting tannins. The depth and structure of this wine are a reflection of great terroir and intensive farming methods.

Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2011
Price: $25.50       Sale $22.44          Case $261

The 2011 Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon displays blueberry, vanilla, cinnamon, ripe plum, lavender and bramble on the nose. Sweet, soft tannins are framed with fresh acidity and flavors of ripe plum and chocolate on the finish.