2001 Teatown Cellars Napa Valley Merlot

We make Napa Valley Merlot that is a little different. Vibrant Merlot; lots of intense purely extracted fruit wrapped in a nicely structured oak blanket. The 2001 vintage is sourced entirely from Bennesere Vineyards about two miles north of St. Helena. Bennesere Vineyards has a 10 acre block of Merlot that was a major component of our 2000 Napa Valley Merlot. Chris Dearden, the winemaker for Bennesere, had also contracted for small quantities of fruit from two other up-valley Merlot vineyards in 2001. Chris usually sells Merlot in bulk to a very well known Napa Valley producer. He had contracted for additional fruit to be sure he had enough wine to cover himself. We were very fortunate that the “well known” producer backed out on buying any of Chris’ 2001 Merlot from Bennesere. Chris didn’t have to ask me twice. We bought his entire production of 2001 Merlot to finish and bottle under the Teatown Cellars label.

As with the 2000 Napa Valley Merlot, the 2001 Napa Valley Merlot was aged in 100% new center of France oak cooperage for seven months. We did not want to smother the wine in oak, but wanted to smell and taste fruit primarily, oak secondarily. In August all of the wine was racked into a stainless tank to marry before bottling on August 22, 2002. 1241 cases produced.

The 2001 Merlot is very similar to the 2000 Merlot, with a bit more intensity, a little more extract structure. Dark red/ruby color. On the nose blackberry and currant; underbrush with a touch of chocolate and toasty oak. In the mouth intense fruit flavors dominated by Bing cherry and dark raspberry flavors, lush and supple with moderate tannins and balanced, well integrated oak. A long, lush finish of blackberry fruit, soft tannins and toasty oak.

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A note about corks: We are still using “Grade ‘A’ Twin-Top Composite Corks” with very good results. A recent report of statistics compiled at California wine competitions found that this type of cork had the fewest taint problems when compared with all types of natural corks. I am glad to be able to reiterate that “corked” bottles are still a very rare event, still virtually non-existent. Enjoy!

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