Robert Keenan 2007 Merlot Napa Valley

Robert Keenan Winery
The ‘07 Merlot has been aged in thirty-three percent new French and American oak barrels for eighteen months. The resulting wine shows intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and cassis. Complex nuances of cocoa and coffee bean emerge as the wine opens up. This is a "big" Merlot that will age for many years to come.
Keenan Winery is located in Spring Mountain District, high in the Mayacamas mountain range above the town of Saint Helena. Fifteen acres of Merlot vines have been planted in the rocky soils surrounding the winery, and it is these vines that produce some of the finest Merlot in Napa. The vineyards are situated above the dense layer of fog that creeps up the Napa Valley most evenings. Consequently the vines warm up earlier in the morning and stay warm through the night. The combination of warm temperatures, steep hillside vine rows and gravelly soils pro- motes more stress on the vines leading to increased intensity in the finished wine.
The 2007 Keenan Merlot is composed of sixty-nine percent Keenan Estate Merlot. Thirty-one percent of the wine is Merlot fruit harvested from the Napa Carneros region. After hand harvesting, the grapes were de-stemmed, then inoculated with Montrachet yeast. Fermentation ranged from eight to eleven days before pressing.
Wine Advocate
Issue # 186, December 23, 2009
"The seductive, soft, plush 2007 Merlot offers a luscious combination of herb-tinged mocha, chocolate infused black cherry and currant fruit, plum and anise. The complex aromas are followed by a lush, succulent wine with dark fruit flavors showing a hint of spicy oak." Robert Parker.
Wine Enthusiast
Impressive October, 2011
92 Points
"A delicious Merlot, drily tannic and rich in blackberries, cherries and chocolate.... Great with grilled steak with sauteed mushrooms".

Type	Red
Varietal	Merlot
Vintage	2007
Bottle size	750mL
Alcohol content	14.3%
Appellation	California – Napa Valley
Wine Advocate	--
Wine Enthusiast	92
Wine Spectator	--
Other	n/a

Nils Venge, consulting winemaker
As a proven winemaker for over 20 years, Nils Venge is widely recognized for his attention to detail and personal supervision of the winemaking process from vine cultivation to bottling. He is reputed as being one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon makers in the Valley, producing big, opulent wines which have tremendous cellaring potential. He was the first American winemaker to ever receive a score of "100" from Robert Parker, Jr. of The Wine Advocate for one of his 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon.