2021 Briarstone Merlot

Doug Hill was one of the first to plant vineyards on Atlas Peak, and his faith in the potential of Merlot led him to plant the Briarstone Vineyard in 2000, using Clone 3 for the Merlot. 2021 was a cool year, the fourth year of drought, with less than average yields, and Atlas Peak always gets less rain than the rest of Napa. There was a hot spell at the beginning of September that moved things along. The Merlot came in on September 23 at 27 Brix and behaved beautifully from the start. We gave it some new oak for support and just let the Briarstone vineyard speak for itself. The 2019 Briarstone Merlot offer aromas of huckleberry, sandalwood, white sage, spicy plum and vanilla. The graceful entry and long, elegant full-bodied palate shows boysenberry and raspberry flavors. This mountain Merlot has a long, elegant finish and long life ahead of itself, that will only get better with age.