2010 St. Supery Merlot Dollarhide Rutherford Napa

Deep shades of reds and purples present in this single vineyard Merlot. Aromas of rich ripe blackberry with subtle notes of currant, anise and charred oak combine with just a hint of graphite. Flavors of black plum and dark mocha, couple with subtle raspberry, espresso and toasted vanillin barrel. This is a wine of fine texture, terrific length and structure.

Growing Season:

The season of 2012 commenced with a very dry and cold winter. The lack of water was concerning as this dry spell in Napa Valley persisted through the end of February, while the Sierras had minimal snowfall. March eased the burden with nine inches of rain, replenishing groundwater reserves. A warm spring and a moderate to hot June, July and August followed. This provided excellent ripening weather through the summer, which was then followed by a warm September, allowing a good, even and progressive harvest. October kicked off with a hot start followed by even, warm conditions. All in all, 2012 provided an excellent growing season.

Winemaking:

The fruit was hand harvested in the cool morning hours and brought to the winery in half ton bins. At the winery, the clusters were sorted using a double sorting system. First, the clusters were sorted by hand. The fruit then ran through a small destemmer that removed stems from the grapes prior to the individual berries being sorted to ensure that the most ideal grapes were chosen. These berries were delivered to a fermenter where there was a period of resting on skins. Warm fermentation temperatures were encouraged along with gentle cap maceration to achieve the desired color and structure for the wine before an extended maceration time on skins prior to final pressing. The wine was transferred directly to barrel for 19 months of maturation.

Rutherford Estate Vineyard:

St. Supéry's Rutherford Estate Vineyard is on the "Rutherford Bench" of mineral-rich alluvial soils and sandy clay loam from the Mayacamas Mountains. Deep, well-drained soil allows the grapevine's root system to mine for nutrients and water, which yields complex and concentrated flavors in the fruit. Roughly 35 acres of our Rutherford Estate Vineyard are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc – varietals perfectly suited for the climate and soils in Rutherford.