1997 Profile
Varietals
72% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Merlot
2% Cabernet Franc
Appellation
Napa Valley
Alcohol
14.5% by volume
Flavor Profile
Profile is a blend of our best lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, chosen for their concentration, depth of flavor and fine tannin structure. This wine was aged in new French oak chateau barrels and bottled unfiltered. It is very dark and opulently structured — characteristic of this very ripe vintage. In its youth the wine is loaded with flavors reminiscent of dark berries, plums and black cherries, with fragrant notes of vanilla and spice. The wine’s mouthfeel is rich, round and seamless.
- Vineyard Notes
Vine Hill Ranch, Beckstoffer II, Poe, Beckstoffer-Las Amigas, Beckstoffer IV and Thorevilos Vineyards
- From Wine Spectator: "TOP PICK — HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
… Massive, with wonderful richness, depth and concentration, this Cabernet blend has layers of complex currant, black cherry, plum, vanilla and blackberry and a long, detailed firmly tannic finish. —James Laube [97 POINTS]
- From Wine Spectator: "Merryvale’s roster perhaps best exemplified by the flagship Cabernet-blend Profile,
… really hit its stride with the ‘97 vintage. Profile (72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) sets a new standard for Merryvale, more commonly seen in the Top 100 for its white wines. —James Laube [97 POINTS & #8 ON TOP 100 WINES OF 2000]
- From Wine Enthusiast: "Here’s a rich, solid Cab from a good winery...
… with a proven track record. Made in the Bordeaux style, with 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, it’s got ripe black-currant and plum aromas and flavors and a solid dose of toasty new French oak. Very balanced and complex. The tannins are soft enough to drink it tonight, but it can also age.” —Steve Heimoff [92 POINTS]
- From Wine & Spirits: " As a young wine, this is opulent and laden with fruit
… one moment, smoky and closed off the next. Then it opens again, playing with the air, scents of herbs and licorice emerging from the dark fruit, flavors of cocoa and lapsang souchong tea rising out of the tannins. Warm and a little muddled at the moment, there’s no denying its grandeur. A wine to cellar and check on again seven or eight years from the vintage, when all that opulence should be at its peak.” —Joshua Greene [92 POINTS]