R&B Cellars

Vineyards:

Towne Ranch is a pristine vineyard just to the north of the town of Calistoga. The vines are about 20 years old and trellised and farmed with sustainable agricultural techniques. A small berry clone of Merlot, the fruit from this vineyard gives a rich intense wine and benefits from a later harvest date to achieve further concentration of flavors. The small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon is from Bingham Ranch which is just to the south of Calistoga and is one of the oldest vineyards in the Napa Valley.

The Wine:
Harvested in late October, the Merlot from Towne ranch was perfect. Fruit was hand sorted, and then crushed and de-stemmed into three-quarter ton macro bins. A three-day cold soak was done before fermentation. Hand punched down twice a day during fermentation and then gently pressed off and put into 100% French oak barrels. The wine was racked four times while aging in barrels, and then lightly filtered for bottling. The final blend was 92% 2005 Towne Merlot, 6% 2006 Towne Merlot and 2% 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Bingham Ranch.

Winemaker's Comments:
This is the type of Merlot I like. Rich and intense, this wine is the perfect balance of fruit and structure. Blackberries and dark black cherries are the predominant fruits in this rich, extracted wine. The French oak is the perfect compliment to the fruit, adding hints of chocolate and toasty vanilla tones in the finish. The wine starts with an initial explosion of black fruit, and then opens layer upon layer of rich fruit and spice, to a long and mouth filling finish.