The 2014 Merus is a singularly delicious bottle of wine, hailing from a vintage that brought out the absolute best of the Napa Valley. The wines from 2014 are powerful yet graceful, and no place epitomizes this balance better than the Coombsville AVA. Rather than crushing and fermenting at 95+ degrees with commercial yeast strains to maximize extraction, Merus is fermented with primarily whole berries at 75 degrees using 100% indigenous yeast. Cooler whole berry fermentations retain more esters specific to the variety and vineyard and allow the yeast to remain viable to absolute dryness. This 2014 bottling boasts deep, dark fruit aromas. A hint of something cool and distant, akin to marine air, opens up to reveal classic black currant and berry syrup aromas. The aromas carry through onto the silky and rich palate, which thlls every corner of your mouth. The tannin, acid, and alcohol are in such balance that wine feels sweet, though it is bone dry. The 100% new oak provides structure and subtle vanilla hints on the finish. Decant for at least one hour in advance for maximum enjoyment.