Duckhorn The Discussion (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Wong
Wilfred
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The gorgeous nose of this wine immediately evokes thoughts of ripe black cherry and juicy wild blueberry. As it opens up, tantalizing layers of espresso, vanilla, star anise, cocoa powder and sweet baking spices are revealed. On the bright, juicy palate, layers of brambly fruit and pomegranate mingle with subtle savory accents and hints of bittersweet chocolate and cardamom. The tannin's are silky and supple, adding plushness and weight to the luxurious flavors that build in density on the mid-palate, before gliding to a long, resonant finish.
Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Breaking from Duckhorn’s focus on varietally labeled wines, Renee Ary blends The Discussion based on favored estate parcels. In 2016, it’s 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 43 percent merlot and one percent each of franc and petit verdot. Given enough time to evolve past the almost peachy ripeness of its fruit and the significant presence of oak (it spends 18 months in new French oak barrels, then another six months in neutral barrels), the wine feels complete and completely rich. It has none of the stodginess common to cabernet, instead presenting a powerful structure, intense and gracious in its bitter-chocolate tannins. All the elements point in an upward trajectory, a path they should follow with extended bottle age.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Discussion 2016 by Duckhorn Vineyards exemplifies an excellent synergy of Bordeaux grape varieties. TASTING NOTES: This wine comes right at you with aromas and flavors of black fruits, anise, and blackberries. Pair it with a juicy, grilled, well-marbled ribeye topped with finely minced shallots. (Tasted: July 19, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2019-
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine -
Wong
Wilfred
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Panel
Tasting -
Spirits
Wine & -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs' -
Spirits
Wine &
Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting classic Napa Valley wines for nearly 40 years. This winemaking tradition has grown to include seven meticulously farmed Estate vineyards, located throughout the various microclimates of the Napa Valley. Focused on quality and consistency, these Estate vineyards are an essential element in making wines of distinction. Pioneering and perfecting Merlot as a premium varietal, Duckhorn Vineyards now makes several elegant Merlot and distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings that showcase its premium vineyard sites. Duckhorn Vineyards has been named one of the “Top 100 Wineries” in the world eight times by Wine & Spirits, and the 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard was named the “2017 Wine of the Year,” topping Wine Spectator’s annual list of the world’s “Top 100 Wines.”
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.