2017 Profile
Varietals
88% Cabernet Sauvignon
7% Cabernet Franc
5% Petit Verdot
Appellation
Napa Valley
Alcohol
14.7%
Flavor Profile
Blended from 17 blocks spanning four ridges of volcanic Conn Valley hillsides, our estate grown Profile Red Wine is consistently one of the finest wines produced in the Napa Valley, and the 2017 vintage is no exception. Elegant and powerful, structured and soft, the wine defies typical categorization as it exhibits the best characteristics of the Profile Estate Vineyard—savory aromatics, dark fruit, evolving flavors, plush mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a long, world class finish. While bright and powerful at release, the wine will continue to mature for the next 30 years and will be tremendously enjoyable throughout its evolution.
- Vineyard Notes
Our Profile proprietary red blend showcases the very best fruit from eachharvest, sourced exclusively from our gorgeous hillside estate vineyard located east of St. Helena. Overlooking the Napa Valley, the Profile EstateVineyard lies on an eastern ridge at almost one thousand feet of elevation.Planted in 1997 by David Abreu, Michel Rolland and then winemaker Bob Levy, the 25-acre vineyard is comprised of four different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with two acres of Petit Verdot and one acre of Cabernet Franc. The steep slopes, rocky soils and volcanic ash bedrockmake it a very challenging site to farm, yet this vineyard consistently delivers grapes that stand out for their plush fruit character, complexity and silky tannin.
The grapes were hand harvested at night in order to retain freshness and get the fruit in the cellar as cool as possible. The wine was vinified with classic Bordeaux techniques. Wild yeast fermentation began after five days of cold soak and reached peak temperature of 90°F. After 15 days of maceration, the wines were drained directly to barrel to complete spontaneous malolactic fermentation. We aged the wine for 23 months in 80% new French oak barrels from the center of France. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.
- FROM JEB DUNNUCK: "A terroir selection,
“… the flagship 2017 Profile offers a classic nose of ripe blackcurrants, scorched earth, tobacco, cedar, and dried spices. This carries to an elegant, beautifully balanced 2017 with plenty of mid-palate depth, building yet polished tannins, and a great finish. It’s a classic, more savory, nuanced 2017 that will evolve for two decades.” —Jeb Dunnuck [94 POINTS]
- FROM JAMESSUCKLING.COM: "Grilled-plum, sage, ...
“… coffee and burnt-orange aromas here. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Chewy and flavorful.” —James Suckling [93 POINTS]
- FROM VINOUS.COM: "THE 2017 PROFILE IS ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE WINE...
“… from Merryvale. Pliant, supple and super-expressive, the 2017 has a lot to offer. Plush contours and ripe, racy fruit add to the wine’s distinctly flamboyant personality.” —Antonio Galloni [91-93 POINTS]