Grgich Hills Estate Merlot 2016
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Wong
Wilfred -
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Full-bodied with bright flavors of strawberries, red currants, licorice and a hint of coffee.
Enjoy with roast duck, braised veal and eggplant Parmesan.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Grgich Hills Estate Merlot dazzles on the palate as it stays tender and mellow. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows attractive black fruit and violets in its aromas and flavors. Enjoy it with a mildly-seasoned, oven-roasted Porchetta. (Tasted: June 9, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Reductive and tight in feel at first, this wine opens slowly in the glass to show a complex mixture of leather, tobacco and sage. Big, powerful tannins give it weight and breadth around a lasting note of red currant.
Other Vintages
2018-
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Wong
Wilfred
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Enthusiast
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Panel
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Wilfred
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Guide
Connoisseurs'
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Winemaker Ivo Jeramaz joined his uncle at Grgich Hills Estate in 1986 and has since become the wineries winemaker and VP of vineyards and production. Ivo has always had a passion for organic and regenerative farming practices. He has committed to farming each of our five estate vineyards organically without the assistance of pesticides or herbicides.
"At Grgich Hills, we grow grapes like my grandfather did, farming without chemicals and pesticides," Ivo says. "Mike taught me early in my career that you need great grapes to make great wine. Over the years, I’ve focused on working with the land. Through our natural farming, it’s been very rewarding to see the soil alive with healthier plants than under conventional farming. It allows the wines to be more authentic—more distinctive."
The health of the vineyards has and always will be a top priority for Grgich Hills Estate. With each glass of their wine, they hope that you can have the confidence that they have grown the best grapes possible in healthy, organically farmed vineyards.
In March 2023 the winery received Regenerative Organic Certification. The winery is only one of a small group of producers in California that has this certification. Ivo Jeramaz and his team have been working many years towards this certification and it reflects in the wines that are made each vintage.
As Napa Valley’s third most planted grape, Napa Valley Merlot shows time and time again its potential to produce exceptional results. Napa’s vaunted combination of climate, soil and the human factor of winemaking expertise lead to big, ripe, cellar-worthy and world-class versions.
Whether made by itself in single varietal bottlings or as an important role in Bordeaux Blends, Merlot continues a prominent role in this famous region. While Cabernet typically takes the lead role, Merlot’s contribution—even at 10% to 20% or so—is significant indeed. Often described as “the flesh on Cabernet’s bones,” Merlot lends a soft, round and plush character that beautifully complements Cabernet’s linear, full-throttle structure. Its flavors of plums plus subtle herbs and mint also dovetail nicely with Cabernet’s blackberry and cassis.