2002 Teatown Cellars Napa Valley Merlot

The 2002 vintage is sourced entirely from Kenifick Ranch located just below Calistoga running to the east from the Silverado Trail back into the foothills. Kenifick Ranch has a 120 + acres planted to vines and sells to a Who’s Who of Napa ‘A List’ producers. Bob Foley of Pride Mountain had been trying to get Tom Kenifick and me together on a contract for years so when Kendall Jackson backed out of a long term contract in 2002 I didn’t have to be asked twice. The block that KJ had been buying produces about 28 tons a year. In 2001 I started of with 15 tons (2003 = 20 tons, 2004 all 28 tons) of fruit which was harvest on September 11, 2002 and was custom crushed at Kirkland Ranch. The fermented juice was moved to the Greenfield Wine Company (AKA Cartlidge and Brown) production facility in American Canyon.

The 2002 Napa Valley Merlot was aged in a mix of new, one and two year old 100% center of France oak cooperage as well as new Mendocino Cooperage 36 month air dried American Oak barrels for about 12 months. Although I do not want to smother the wine in oak, the fruit from Kenifick Ranch is fairly substantial and can both handle and also requires more time in oak. I want to smell and taste fruit primarily, oak secondarily and this wine has plenty of fruit. In November of 2002 all of the wine was racked into tank to marry before bottling just before Thanksgiving. 1007 cases produced.

The 2002 Merlot is a dark, plum red with sweet black fruit and spices on the nose along with but not overcome by the usual (oak) suspects. On the palate varietally perfect (at least that’s the way I see it) extraordinarily intense Merlot fruit framed and balanced by oak. Moderate soft tannins and good acidity. A long, lush finish of blackberry fruit, soft tannins and oak. Drink now and over the next 3-5 years.

A note about corks: We are still using “Grade ‘A’ Twin-Top Composite Corks” (who’s ready for twist offs?) 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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