St. Supéry
Rutherford Estate Merlot 2018
Rutherford
The Rutherford Estate Merlot shows the typical fine-grained quality that the AVA is known for. Inspired by St Supéry’s initial consulting winemaker, Michel Rolland, a notable amount of the merlot is barrel fermented for a decadent and refined palate.
Vineyard
The Rutherford Estate vineyard surrounds the St Supéry winery on the eastern side of Highway 29, covering just over 50 acres. Located in the heart of Rutherford, the famed “dusty” style of the region permeates the wines with a distinctive character.
Winemaking
Warm fermentation and gentle cap maceration before an extended maceration period. 65% of the blend was barrel fermented. Aged in 44% new French oak for 19 months with regular movement of the barrels.
Vintage
A rainy winter and spring provided plenty of water for vines to drink from. Though July was warm, August through September proved to be mild and ideal to finish the season.
Tasting Note
Aromas of black plum and black cherry combine with graphite, milk chocolate, and black pepper.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Merlot
Appellation
Rutherford
Farming
Napa Green Land and Winery
Alcohol
14.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$82
Reviews
"Verve and Brightness"
James Suckling - February 9, 2023 "This is always an excellent merlot with blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character. It’s full and tight with balance and freshness. Shows verve and brightness." - July 2021
"Pure, Elegant Style"
Jeb Dunnuck - February 9, 2023 "Tthe 2018 Merlot Rutherford Estate Vineyard reveals a deep purple hue to go with impressive purity in its cassis and mulberry fruits as well as notes of chocolate, cedary herbs, and tobacco. It shows the vintage's pure, elegant style yet has terrific concentration, ripe tannins, a good spine of acidity, and a great finish." - January 2021
Trade Materials
St. Supéry Rutherford Estate Merlot 2018 Tech Sheet
Added February 9, 2023 -
St. Supéry Rutherford Estate Merlot 2018 Shelf Talker
Added February 9, 2023 -
Other Wines by this Producer
Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley
One of St. Supéry’s most renowned wines is their Sauvignon Blanc, vinified in a clean and crisp style. The vines themselves are a unique field selection, hand-picked from within the Dollarhide Vineyard in the late 1990s and propagated throughout the property ever since.
Dollarhide Estate Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley
The Dollarhide Estate Sauvignon Blanc showcases the power and elegance of the Dollarhide Ranch most elegantly. The fruit primarily comes from one parcel within the vineyard, featuring almost 40-year-old vines and deep sandy loam. A gentle amount of new French oak and lees aging rounds out and relaxes the profile of this robust white wine.
Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
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A blend of their Dollarhide and Rutherford Estate Vineyards, St. Supéry’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is an impressively balanced wine of mountainous and valley fruit. The blend is gently melded with new oak for a robust yet measured style, inspired by Bordeaux.
Élu
Napa Valley
Reflecting some of the best fruit from both their Dollarhide and Rutherford Estate vineyards, Élu is a beautifully textured Bordeaux blend showcasing the high growing quality of St Supéry’s holdings. The opulent style typically leads with Cabernet Sauvignon vintage to vintage, while incorporating various amounts of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
Dollarhide Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Blending Cabernet Sauvignon from across their 500 acres under vine, the Dollarhide Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is the truest expression of this unique place. This elevated site in the Vaca Mountains creates a powerful and lifted character, and the team at St Supéry painstakingly ferments each parcel to eventually blend a consistently styled wine each year.
Napa Valley Estate Moscato
Napa Valley
Crafted entirely from Muscat Canelli, this highly aromatic and joyous expression of this charming varietal. This Moscato represents St Supéry’s only off-dry wine and provides a welcome counterpoint to their already impressive portfolio. 49% of all Napa Valley Muscat Canelli is grown by St Supéry.
