R&B Cellars

Vineyards:

Bingham Ranch is one of the oldest vineyards in the Napa Valley. It has been in the same family since the mid 1800's, homesteading times, and was planted with vineyards in the 1950's. The merlot was planted in the 1980's, and is on the northern edge of the ranch. It is a small berry clone that benefits from extended hang time for optimal ripeness.

The Wine:
Harvested in late October, the merlot from Bingham ranch was perfect. The fruit was hand sorted, and then crushed and de-stemmed into half 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.

Winemaker's Comments:
Typical of a Napa merlot, the Bingham Ranch merlot is dark, rich, and intense. Blackberries and dark black cherries are the predominant fruits in this rich, extracted, and beautifully balanced 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.