Duckhorn The Discussion 2014
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Aromas of rhubarb and Italian roast coffee add to a glossy palate of cinnamon and nutmeg. With a plethora of plushy tannins, this is a textural delight. Its abundant flavors would exceed the word limit of this review, but dark chocolate, plum, licorice, violet and blueberry compote are the deep and generous starting lineup.
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Wine & Spirits
Renee Ary blends this wine from a range of Duckhorn’s vineyards in Napa Valley, the 2014 including Three Palms merlot for the first time. It’s mostly cabernet sauvignon (57 percent) and merlot, with a little franc and petit verdot. Ary ages the wine 18 months in new French oak, then another six months in neutral barrels. This vintage offers the silken red fruit of cooler Napa Valley cabernet sites and the extravagance of riper fruit. For all its supple richness, it feels racy, a savory matrix of red and black fruit, salty mineral tones and oak smoke. The integration is impressive, suggesting it will develop into a complex maturity with cellar time.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Let's talk about the Duckhorn Vineyards Discussion. Designing a wine as intricate as this one requires patience to build. As one of the newer wines in the winery's portfolio, the team has been able to take it quite far in a short time. The Discussion 2014 is worth talking about, and I have no shortage of words. TASTING NOTES: This is a standup wine with excellent richness and structure. One could almost say that this a New World version of a time-honored "Claret." Its aromas and flavors are important, but the wine's balance and style are what makes this wine special. Pair its elegance with a regal Chateaubriand. (Tasted: September 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
A bit edgy, with chunky dark berry, mocha and cedar flavors, this wine needs cellaring to round out the rough edges. The essentials are there in the presence of concentration and depth. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2031.
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Connoisseurs'
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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.