Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot 2000

The 2000 vintage was noted by an early harvest. After having harvested the prior two vintages late, it felt odd to be crushing grapes in August. The timing was deceiving as the harvest actually was lengthy, but the mild weather was ideal for maximum hang time for the grapes. The vintage had much in common with the 1997 vintage, with an early start and the larger than expected crop for white varieties. The fruit quality was outstanding and the resulting white wines exhibit a crisp acidity balanced with tropical fruit flavors. The quality of the red grapes bordered on greatness, with the wines showing excellent depth and fruit.

At first sniff an intriguing combination of smoked meat, raspberry jam, caramel, dried herbs and toasted oak awaken the olfactory senses. The varied scents will tempt you to taste and the flavors of chocolate, coffee, black cherry and blackberry seems to dominate the palate. Well integrated tannins balance with the ripe fruit and conclude with a lingeringfinish that is accented with sweet oak. This wine will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, after which it will continue to age gracefully.