Merryvale Vineyards

     Thursday January 16, 2020

Reservations Closed
Course Pairing / Description Wine
Hors D’oeuvres Goat Cheese Balls with Thyme and Lemon Infused Honey Exotic Fruit Skewers
By sourcing the Sauvignon Blanc from different regions of the Napa Valley, each component contributes its own distinct expression to the final blend. Sauvignon Blanc is famously expressive of the land on which it is grown with each site providing a different aspect of the varietal. After being handpicked and sorted, 95% of the fruit was whole cluster pressed and the rest de-stemmed with the juice cold soaked with the skins for 24 hours before being pressed. Fermentation was in a combination of stainless steel tanks (54%) and neutral French oak barrels (46%). Merryvale’s intent is to preserve and enhance the varietal nuances and textural complexity. The wine was aged 5 months in neutral French oak barrels and will continue to develop for 2-3 years from vintage. The goal for this wine is complexity on the nose with nice fresh notes (lime leaf and lemongrass), citrus notes (key lime), floral notes (citrus blossom) and tropical notes (guava, lychee, pineapple), which is achieved by sourcing from many different vineyards throughout the region and using different clones of Sauvignon Blanc including the distinctively floral Musque clone. The Starmont Sauvignon Blanc is a complex, balanced wine which can be enjoyed young either on its own or with food.
Starmont by Merryvale Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Salad Course Winter Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette and Smoked Salmon
The fruit for this Chardonnay was handpicked, as well as state-of-the-art machine harvested, then carefully sorted and whole-cluster pressed to preserve freshness. Traditional methods are used to add richness and complexity: aging sur lies for 10 months in 20% new French oak to add richness; and malolactic fermentation to balance the wine’s acidity. Modest use of French oak helps to enhance the wine’s expression of region, while not playing too dominant a role in the overall wine. Merryvale employs a combination of traditional barrel fermentation (48% of the blend) and stainless steel tank fermentation (52% of the blend). This wine will continue to gain complexity for three or more years from vintage. This wine is full of bright citrus and apple, along with subtle tropical fruit notes and spice. The 2016 is pale gold in color with a soft entry that leads to a mid-palate with medium body and acidity. Flavors of tropical fruits and apple, along with citrus, fresh mineral and subtle oak notes lead to a refreshing, medium length finish.
Starmont by Merryvale Carneros Chardonnay 2016
Chicken and Pasta Course Chicken Stuffed Cannelloni with Lemon Basil Bechamel
The fruit for this Pinot Noir was handpicked then carefully sorted upon arrival at the winery. Following a 2-3 day cold soak, they inoculated with commercial yeast for primary fermentation at 82°F. The wine was fermented in closed top tanks with twice daily pumpovers. Fermention lasted 7-10 days and the wine spent 9-12 days on the skins. The wine was pressed, allowed to settle overnight and racked to barrels. Native secondary fermentation occurred in the barrel. The wine spent 10 months in French oak (25% new) and was bottled unfined. Over 40 years ago, Carneros helped launch a revolution in California Pinot Noir. The cool climate and marine-based soils are ideal for this finicky variety. Merryvale’s is a regional expression of Carneros Pinot Noir sourced from multiple vineyards, from both Napa and Sonoma. The goal of this wine is to retain a varietal correctness with a sense of place. Merryvale really enjoys Carneros Pinot Noir, because although the fruit presents itself readily, there is an undercurrent of ‘Pinot funk’ and earthy element that adds complexity both on the nose and the palate. Judicious use of new oak, only 25%, adds both to the nose and the texture of the wine, but still allows the fruit to be front and center. Dark garnet in color, the 2014 displays dark cherry and plum notes enhanced by toasty oak. Nice acidity, along with moderate weight and density, gives this wine outstanding balance and structure.
Starmont by Merryvale Carneros Pinot Noir 2014
Beef Course Braised Beef Cheek with Polenta Cake and Buttered Baby Carrots
Selected from multiple vineyard sites throughout the Napa Valley, the winemaking for this Napa blend (52% Petite Syrah, 13% Malbec, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 8% Petite Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc) starts in the soil. Working closely with small, family owned vineyards, each site and varietal were chosen to create the best balance and expression possible in the final wine. In pursuit of this unique style, the composition will change as they create a blend that is medium bodied and well balanced and most importantly, exemplifies both region and site. The goal is an appealing, fruit forward and food friendly wine with moderate tannins to be enjoyed upon release. With aromas of blackberry, blueberry and dark cherry, this is dark purple in color. A medium bodied, round wine on the palate with soft tannins and moderate acidity. This wine ends with notes of cedar and baking spices from the barrel.
Merryvale Forward Kidd 2013
Dessert Course Cheesecake Creme Brule
All of the fruit was hand picked and hand sorted. Merryvale harvests the fruit in the early morning to preserve the fresh flavors and keep the skins intact. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were carefully sorted and de-stemmed, but not crushed, leaving over 90% whole berries. After a cold presoak an average of 2 days, the Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals were fermented traditionally (82-86°F for 9 days). The wine spent an average of 14 days on the skins and was aged 15 months in a combination of French and American oak (30% new). The wine was bottled without fining. Grown in top vineyards across the Napa Valley, Starmont Cabernet lots were hand selected for their rich, robust flavors and fine tannins. Very dark red in color, with aromas of dark berries and some herbs with background notes of baking spices. Fruit flavors along with subtle toasty oak are framed by well-balanced acidity and tannins. The finish shows great structure with well-integrated and resolved tannins. Merryvale’s is a restrained style Napa Cab, not over-ripe or overly extracted. Meant to be balanced and approachable on its own and also pair well with food.
Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015
Chip Wine
The Merryvale Vineyards Profile proprietary red blend (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc and available as a $30 chip wine for a 3 ounce pour) showcases the very best fruit from each harvest, sourced exclusively from their gorgeous hillside estate vineyard located east of St. Helena. Overlooking the Napa Valley, the Profile Estate Vineyard lies on an eastern ridge at almost 1,000 feet of elevation. Planted in 1997 by David Abreu, Michel Rolland and then winemaker Bob Levy, the 25-acre vineyard is comprised of four different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with two acres of Petit Verdot and one acre of Cabernet Franc. The steep slopes, rocky soils and volcanic ash bedrock make it a very challenging site to farm, yet this vineyard consistently delivers grapes that stand out for their plush fruit character, complexity and silky tannin. The grapes were hand-harvested at night in order to get the fruit into the cellar by very early morning and as fresh as possible. Each lot was fermented separately in small tanks. Native fermentation began after a 5-day cold soak and reached a peak temperature of 90°F. The wines were pumped over a few times a day until dryness and the total time in tank was around 15 days. After that, the wines were drained to barrels where malolactic fermentation occurred. Merryvale aged the wine for 26 months in 80% new French oak barrels from Taransaud and Sylvain. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration. 2015 was a very early harvest for the Profile Estate Vineyard due to the dry, hot vintage. The vines had little vigor and carried little fruit. Consequently, harvest was quick and the fruit was ripe at the same time throughout the vineyard. The heat around harvest also resulted in very good extractability of tannins and color which allowed them to limit maceration time and only extract the best part of the skins. The finished wine is very dark in color and in flavor with hints of blackberries, dark cherries, cedar and dark chocolate. In the mouth, the velvet texture and fine grained tannins are remarkable. The 2015 Profile is extremely long and concentrated and it should keep improving for another 10 to 20 years. Decant this wine in its youth.
Merryvale Profile 2015