Though the 2008 growing season presented certain challenges—from early frosts to drought
conditions—a meticulous approach to viticulture and sorting yielded small crops with good
concentration, highlighting soft, appealing tannins for our red varietals and bright acidity for our
white grapes. A long, moderately cool summer led to a harvest that commenced in mid-August and
concluded in early November. This relatively relaxed pace allowed us to pick in numerous passes to
ensure quality, often focusing on individual rows or a single side of the vines.
This appealing Napa Valley bottling highlights the elegance of the Merlot varietal. Since 1978,
Duckhorn Vineyards has been producing Merlot that reflects the rich diversity of the valley’s many
appellations and offers signature flavors of black cherry, plum and spice.