Lot 522
2023 Napa Valley Merlot

Over $50/bottle under the original label

Lot 522 is a graceful 100% Merlot widely regarded as one of Napa's quintessential expressions of the varietal, with consistent mid-90s scores awarded by the major publications every vintage. A signature bottling from a globally renowned estate with a very high reputation for excellence in precision vineyard management and winemaking, it was aged over a year in top-of-the-line French oak.

An uplifted and floral nose bursts out of the glass with red and blue fruit, layered alongside dusty, earthy nuances of freshly picked bay leaves, cocoa powder, and crushed stones. On the palate, the wine reveals its structure and finesse from the first sip, with a remarkable elegance and exceptional acidity – a testament to 2023’s consistently cool growing season. Terroir-driven notes of focused cherries, capsicum, juniper berries, leather, and dried herbs lead to plentiful, persistent tannins. The finish kicks off with vanilla blossoms before transitioning to additional cherries, then concludes on a savory, complex note. Superb.