2005 Napa Valley Merlot (750ml) - Goosecross wines

Purchase 2005 Napa Valley Merlot (750ml) - Goosecross wines

We are proud to present this "sixth flight" of our limited-production Napa Valley Merlot.

"I wish every year could be like 2005. The weather was so great that it almost made my job easy!" enthuses Geoff Gorsuch, our Winemaker, about the 2005 vintage. The year got off to a tenuous start, with late spring rains, but the mild summer and harvest weather that followed was just about ideal. "Warm, sunny days. Cool, foggy nights and hardly any heat spikes. I've never seen such gorgeous fruit."

Winemaker Notes

As always, our Merlot is fruit forward and lush on the palate. Geoff is looking for rich flavor concentration and round, polished tannins so, following a few days "cold soak", he guided the wine through a warm fermentation to coax the dark, plummy lusciousness out of the fruit. Full, rich and complex, it’s loaded with black cherry, sweet boysenberry, dusty earth and mocha finishing with lingering toasty oak and a hint of aromatic herbs. "This vintage has the generosity of fruit and supple elegance I look for in a Merlot."

Food Suggestions

The abundant fruit and soft tannins make our Merlot an easy-going match for a variety of foods. It’s a delicious partner for everything from roast chicken or pork, to grilled rib-eye. Merlot is a time-honored and sumptuous favorite with grilled or roast lamb. Geoff loves it with Colleen’s recipe for Cornish Hens with Merlot Glaze. "The rosemary and thyme bring out the subtle herb and woodsy character in the wine. It’s great!"