Rutherford Merlot 2018

Name: St. Supéry - Rutherford Merlot - 2018
Brand: St. Supéry
Price: 84.0 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

St. Supéry

168,00 €

A generous, precise Rutherford Merlot, balancing black fruit, cocoa and freshness.

United States

Vin Red

14.5%

5 to 10 years

88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

750 ml
Set of 2 bottles (75cl)

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Let's talk little, let's talk wine

This cuvée comes exclusively from Rutherford Estate Vineyard, in the heart of the Napa Valley, in the Rutherford appellation. Set on the « Rutherford Bench », the vineyard enjoys well-drained, mineral-rich alluvial soils, conducive to even ripening of the grapes and a concentrated expression of Bordeaux grape varieties. The estate farms its own vines using a sustainable approach certified Napa Green.

The grapes are hand-harvested in the cool hours, then sorted in two stages, by cluster and by berry. After a cold soak on the skins, fermentation is carried out at a warm temperature with gentle pump-overs, followed by an extended maceration before pressing. The wine is then aged 19 months in French oak barrels, 44% of them new; 65% of the grapes are fermented and then aged in barrels.

This wine reveals notes of black plum, black cherry, juicy blackberry, blackcurrant, graphite, milk chocolate, cocoa, black pepper, vanilla and toasted oak. Hints of tobacco and dried herbs complete this deep, nuanced profile. The palate is generous and fresh, with a powdery, cocoa-like texture, supple, ripe tannins and a long, spicy and persistent finish.

Where are we traveling?

Napa Valley

It lies an hour's drive north of San Francisco, nestled between the Vaca Mountains to the east and the Mayacamas to the west, forming a narrow valley barely 50 kilometres long. The vineyards stretch from the cool, foggy south near the marshes of San Pablo Bay to the hot, enclosed north around the small town of Calistoga, passing through the legendary villages of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena. The valley's winegrowing history began in the 1830s with George Yount, but it was the Judgement of Paris in 1976 that propelled Napa onto the world stage, when a Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars outscored the greatest French crus in a blind tasting. The climate is Mediterranean, hot and dry in summer, tempered by morning fogs that roll in from the bay and sweep up the valley, giving the grapes the cool nights essential to their balance. The diversity of soils is remarkable, from the alluvial deposits of the valley floor to the volcanic rocks of the hillsides, with no fewer than sixteen distinct sub-appellations. Napa Valley has become the world benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon thanks to opulent, concentrated wines of exceptional longevity, complemented by full, generous Chardonnay, silky Merlot and a handful of Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel that bear witness to the richness of a terroir that has become legendary.

The little history of the country

United States

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors into California that boosted the Californian wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in Sonoma and Napa. At the start of the 20th century there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933, Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the Californian wine industry, so much so that by 1933 only 140 wineries were still producing wine. It was not until 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition, and California was then known mainly for fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous wineries were founded (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc.). In 1976 a landmark event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgement of Paris". It pitted the greatest French wines against the American newcomers. On 24 May, an unexpected result shook the wine world when, to everyone's surprise, the United States came out on top. Yet the competition remains fairly unknown to the general public. Today there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Although California largely monopolises the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and Washington State offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

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