2018 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 750 ml

Duckhorn wrote the book on California Merlot, and they’re still authoring the state’s most iconic expression. For decades, their Merlots have ranked among Napa Valley’s benchmark reds, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Silver Oak and Opus One. 

This 2018 is a statement that Duckhorn’s not content to simply continue the streak. They’re still looking to elevate their game every year. They’ve gone and bottled a silky texture reminiscent of top-tier Bordeaux, with power that will make fans out of staunch Cab purists. Boasting complexity from a vintage that Spectator called “near picture-perfect,” this might be Duckhorn’s most luscious Napa bottling yet, the kind of effort that’s made them THE name in top-quality Merlot among collectors and restaurants nationwide. 

The richness in the glass that had us jostling for refills during our tasting is courtesy of top vineyard sites across Napa Valley. Those sources include Duckhorn’s Three Palms Vineyard, which Wine Enthusiast said is considered the region’s “most significant first-growth site for Merlot,” and which produced one of just two Merlots to ever earn Wine Spectator Wine of the Year honors.

When Duckhorn Merlot crosses our tasting table, we don’t treat it like a formality. Far from it. We relish the Grand Cru Bordelaise-style satiny grace. This 2018 weaves together notes of ripe black fruit with resinous herbs, earth, and graphite, displaying Duckhorn’s calling-card plushness from start to finish.

Duckhorn’s excellence fueled the California Merlot boom, and they’re still putting out world-class bottles for an excellent price. Their four-decade run has included eight Wine & Spirits Top 100 Winery awards and a mountain of critical praise—Wine Spectator called them “a juggernaut,” and Forbes lauded their wine as “the best California Merlot there is.”

In the mid-70s, Dan Duckhorn and the brilliant winemaker Ric Forman set themselves an ambitious goal: to coax Bordeaux-like elegance from the warm, rolling hills of Napa. The duo traveled to France and spent nearly a year studying the most prestigious estates in Bordeaux. When they returned, they began scoping out vineyards they believed could offer First-Growth potential on the West Coast. As former Duckhorn winemaker Tony Biagi put it: The pair had “a great nose for dirt.”  

They hired winemaker Tom Rinaldi, who over 20 years lifted Duckhorn into the pantheon of Napa wineries. Today, Renée Ary is following suit, and every blue-chip steakhouse in America stands in line for its annual allocation. In phenomenal Napa vintages (like this one), Duckhorn’s Merlots take on a more Cabernet-like complexion, marrying sleek lines and tremendous concentration. To unlock further warmth, depth, and structure, Ary gave this 2018 a 15-month slumber in 40% new French oak.