Deep ruby color; black cherry, redcurrant, plum, raspberry, chocolate, licorice, baking spices on the nose and palate.
Dry; mild, velvety tannins and acidity (3.65 pH; 5.60 g/L TA). Full body. Blend of 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon, 2% cabernet franc. Aged 15 months in French oak, 40% new, 60% neutral. Exceptionally smooth easy drinker, fully within the Duckhorn tradition. Merlot production has been a Duckhorn specialty from the beginning, and this helps maintain their lofty place in the Napa merlot firmament. 14.5% ABV
The grapes came from Duckhorn vineyards, also from independent growers in Napa—thus Napa Valley designation. Duckhorn also produces a number of premier—more expensive—single-vineyard merlots from their estate vineyards.
After working at Duckhorn for a decade, Renée Ary became the fourth winemaker in the 41-year history of Duckhorn in 2014. The website notes: “Renée is recognized for making some of the finest wines in the history of Duckhorn Vineyards.” Renée notes: “I am incredibly fortunate to work with some of Napa Valley’s most exceptional grapes. There is no recipe or formula. My job is to let the vineyards speak and convey the soul of the wine.”
Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards in 1976. They focused on merlot from the beginning. Today, the seven estate vineyards are located in the Napa Valley and on the slopes of Howell Mountain and produce a number of varietals in addition to the merlot core.
The company is undergoing change. Dan and Margaret divorced in 2000. Dan was named Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2005. GI Partners, a private equity firm, purchased controlling interest in the Duckhorn Wine Company in 2007. In 2016, TSG Consumer Partners bought the brand and its wineries for a price in the range of $600 million according to published reports. TSG took the company public in 2021.
Change continued in 2024, two years after this wine’s production. In December 2024, Butterfly Equity, a private equity firm, acquired The Duckhorn Portfolio for $1.95 billion in an all-cash transaction. The company is now engaged in a repositioning, shutting down four brands—Canvasback, Migration, Paraduxx, and Postmark—to concentrate on the seven core brands that represent 96% of net sales. The Duckhorn Vineyards brand represents one-third of sales, followed by Decoy (21%) and Sonoma-Cutrer (15%) and Kosta Browne (13%).
Margaret Duckhorn, who put the focus on merlot and was intimately involved in the business even after the sales, passed in 2022, the year this wine was made. Duckhorn president and CEO: “Margaret was an icon who changed the face of American wine. She was kind, gracious, collaborative and charitable. Margaret always led by example, and instilled this remarkable sense of camaraderie, which made her a talented leader with a gift for empowering people and building consensus. She was deeply loved and universally respected.”
Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley 2022 is in classic Duckhorn Vineyards tradition of merlot–velvety mouthfeel, amenable tannins, acidity, and oak notes. Crowd pleaser that will not spook red wine dilettantes. Ripe fruits that avoid jammy, oak that knows its place in the ensemble. Deft vineyard selection and adroit practices in the cellar delivered expected quality in a higher-than-usual testing vintage. $60
Pairing—Ribeye steak with blue cheese and rosemary; cross-hatch grilled bone-in pork chop; herb-crusted rack of lamb; duck breast. Roast turkey with cranberry-herb glaze; stuffed quail with wild rice; venison. Portobello mushroom burgers with caramelized onions; lentil-walnut shepherds’ pie; ratatouille with rosemary-infused olive oil. Cheese—Brie, camembert; mild washed-rind, taleggio, reblochon; aged gouda, manchego, gruyère; aged cheddar; gorgonzola dolce, stilton.
