Frog's Leap Winery
Merlot 2023
Rutherford
Frog’s Leap has been crafting Merlot since 1990, accumulating decades of experience with a variety that demands as much from the winemaker as it gives in the glass. The philosophy is simple and unwavering: grow it in the right soil, farm it with care and handle it with restraint in the cellar. For Frog’s Leap, that means cool clay soils at the Red Barn and Williams Rossi estate vineyards in Rutherford, where rich clay loam provides the ideal foundation for a variety that thrives under cool, even conditions. In addition, the winery’s 35-year relationship with the Truchard family of Carneros adds an exceptional component, with hillside blocks planted in 1985 contributing fruit of remarkable concentration and texture. The result is a Merlot of genuine depth and longevity — infinitely ageable, yet welcoming and an exciting demonstration of what Merlot is capable of in the hands of a winery that has never stopped learning.
VINEYARD
Grown in select locations at the Red Barn and Williams Rossi estate vineyards in Rutherford, where light-textured clay loams provide ideal conditions for the variety. These soils, which lie beyond the gravelly benchland blocks best suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, moderate vine vigor and promote even, gradual ripening. Shale-derived clay soils on steep hillsides at the Truchard vineyard in Carneros
WINEMAKING
Hand-harvested and crushed and destemmed into stainless steel tanks for natural fermentation. Twice-daily pump-overs promote gentle extraction throughout fermentation, which lasts approximately ten days before pressing at dryness. The wine undergoes natural malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels and is aged with minimal rackings to enhance purity of fruit and preserve complexity.
VINTAGE
A cool, wet winter replenished soils in Rutherford, followed by a late start to the growing season. Mild summer temperatures slowed ripening, extending the growing season and enhancing flavor development at lower sugar levels. Harvest occurred later than average under favorable conditions. The resulting wines emphasize precision, lifted aromatics and fine-grained tannins with strong aging potential.
TASTING NOTE
Deep ruby with aromas of black cherry, plum, dried herbs and earthy cedar. The palate is plush yet structured, with velvety tannins, bright natural acidity and a long, mineral-tinged finish that rewards patience as much as immediacy.
FOOD PAIRING
Roasted duck and lamb, mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin, aged hard cheeses, braised short ribs.
Color
Red
Blend %
100% Merlot
Appellation
Rutherford
Alcohol
13.4%
Suggested Retail Price
$51
Reviews
Vinous - November 1, 2025 "The 2023 Merlot is mostly from the estate, with some fruit from Truchard in Carneros. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red cherry fruit, mint, orange peel and white pepper are beautifully lifted in the glass. This is a Merlot with a restrained, Pinot-like sense of structure. It will especially appeal to readers who enjoy perfumed, gracious reds."
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
La Grenouille Rouganté
Mendocino County
Sourced from old-vine Carignane planted in 1942 at the Ricetti Ranch in Mendocino, La Grenouille Rougante is a serious, Provençal-inspired dry rosé of uncommon minerality and depth. Bright red fruit, lively acidity and low alcohol make it one of the most versatile and compelling rosés in California.
Concrete Aged Sauvignon Blanc
Rutherford
Sauvignon Blanc has long been central to the Frog’s Leap story and serves as a reference point for restrained Napa Valley whites. Rather than chasing overt tropical ripeness or sweetness, the estate focuses on dryness, mineral structure and aromatic precision. The Concrete Aged Sauvignon Blanc intensifies this focus, employing careful vineyard selection, old vines, fermentation in concrete egg and extended aging sur lie to drive a intense, mineral-driven expression of Sauvignon Blanc fully expressive of its Rutherford origins.
Shale & Stone Chardonnay
Carneros
‘Shale and Stone’ on the label is reflective of the deep minerality of the vineyard’s ancient fractured shale soils and the freshness of the varietal. With long sur lie aging in concrete, it is taut but generous, and full yet bright on the palate.
Sauvignon Blanc
Rutherford
Stone fruit and white flower aromatics are perfectly complemented with crisp, minerally flavors. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the purity and distinctiveness of this noble grape.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford
This classically structured Estate Cabernet reflects a deep understanding of Rutherford Dust, with estate vineyards rooted in alluvial soils that balance up-valley richness and down-valley energy, creating a wine of vibrant tension. Layers of blackberry, cassis, and dried herbs and aged in restrained French oak.
Zinfandel
Rutherford
Made in the classic field blend style including significant portions of Petite Sirah and Carignane. Vibrant raspberry and black cherry fruit with hints of spice and earth, balanced by bright acidity and moderate tannins—crafted from dry-farmed, organically grown vines and aged in neutral oak to preserve its varietal purity and freshness.
Flycatcher
Rutherford
Flycatcher is a vibrant, juicy field blend bursting with red berry fruit, spice, and floral notes, crafted from organically grown Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, and Valdiguié, co-fermented and aged in neutral oak for a fresh, energetic expression of California terroir.
