Rutherford Hill Merlot 2019 750ml

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A mild winter, uncharacteristically dry, ended up with heavy rains late in the Spring, causing some concern and high soil moisture pre-bud-break. Thankfully things dried out well and the season unfolded almost text-book perfect – a long, warm summer that saw very few heat spikes. Leading up to harvest, we always pray for even temps, cool-to-cold nights and warm, not-too-hot days. Bacchus smiled down and brought us a mild finish to the season, not without a few moments of concern, but the abundant hang-time preserved freshness and finesse, teasing out great color, structure and beautifully ripe tannins. In the end the crop size was about average, to a little less than average. All in all, 2019 will be another winner of a vintage for Napa Valley!