Lot 23 2002 Napa Meritage Sonoma
- Vintage: 2002
- Appellation: 63% Sonoma County, 37% Napa County
- Grape: 75% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Verdot, 4% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc
- Alcohol by volume: 14.2%
- Production: 3,600 cases
- Online availability: Sold out
Find out what the critics think.
Taste: This seductive Meritage greets you with aromas of rose petals followed by cassis, plum and blackberry and gorgeous, toasty French oak. Kitchen box spices of cloves and nutmeg start off on the palate with a hint of anise unfolding into a velvety textured medley of wild boysenberries and smokey notes. Wrapped up with silky tannins accompanied by incredible harmony and elegance, this a soft, yet complex and opulent wine.
Cameron Confidential: For those of you who don't know, the word Meritage is a made up word combining "Merit" and "Heritage" and the last syllable is pronounced as you would say Heritage. The name won a contest (the brain child of wine writer Dan Berger) to come up with a suitable marketing name for a category of wines also known as Bordeaux blends or claret. The Meritage name allows wineries to blend to suit their tastes and not have to fulfill the arbitrary 75% varietal obligation, otherwise the wines could only be designated as "red table wine", a certain doom.
We scored this from a high-end Carneros producer already bottled but with no label and a generic cork (known in the wine business as a "shiner" or "cleanskin" as the Aussies call them). Like the Lot 25 sparkling wine producer, they are re-evaluating their still wine portfolio and discontinuing items difficult to market through traditional retail channels. Meritage wines still have yet to break into the broad consumer consciousness even though they are usually the most expensive bottle of wine a winery may offer. I busted this puppy out at a recent industry tasting and jaws were dropping and eyes poppin' when I told them it was $12/bottle. 24 months in brand new French oak and originally selling as a $35/bottle "Reserve" designate.
