I've been wanting to try the canonical Merlot: Duckhorn Three Palms. Articles like The Napa Legends Making Iconic Wines You Can Actually Buy and Duckhorn Vineyards And The Unusual Triumph Of Merlot In Napa Valley further convinced me. It also showed up in 15th place as the only Merlot on the 2020 Wine Spectator Top 100 List.
I reviewed a lot of "Best Merlots" lists and found my other two bottles:
- 2017 Sequoia Grove Winery, Best of Class from the 2020 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
- Trefethen Family Vineyards, Oak Knoll District, Best of Class from the 2018 SF Chronicle Wine Competition. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the 2015 and had to settle for the 2018.
We met on a Friday night over zoom. We raucously tasted the wines. Remote wine tastings can be challenging with so many people. Michel introduced us to his new friend, Linda. She was brave to join us. It was nice to see a new face. She fit right in.
Results
B - 2017 Duckhorn, Three Palms Vineyard, Napa Valley came in first place with an average of 3.62. It costs $100 from K&L, $110 directly from the winery.
C - 2017 Sequoia Grove, Napa Valley came in second place with an average of 3.60, a virtual tie. It costs $50 directly from the winery.
A - 2018 Trefethen, Oak Knoll District came in last place with an average of 3.06. It costs $50 directly from the winery.
All the wine was good and will taste even better in a few years.
