Frank Family Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 2018 750 ML

Frank Family’s first vintage of this wine in nearly two decades, this opens with fresh plums that intertwine with coffee and cedar. An effortless mix of blackberries and baking spice, the Merlot is complex and elegant, offering smooth layers of pomegranate and a depth of dark chocolate that carries through the persistent finish.\n \n Producer Information\n Frank Family Vineyards in a winery located in the Calistoga subregion of northern Napa Valley. Like many Napa wineries, it is known for its wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Alongside its historic stone building – listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the state of California and itself a former winery – Frank is also considered to have one of better tasting rooms in the valley. Frank Family makes its wines in a typical Napa style, with high levels of ripeness and liberal use of new French oak. Most fruit comes from the 120-hectare (300-acre) Winston Hill vineyard in Rutherford, where Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese are grown. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir come from the cooler Lewis Vineyard in Carneros, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel is sourced from the S&J Vineyard in nearby Capay Valley. A fourth vineyard, the 87-acre (35-hectare) Benjamin Vineyard planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon, was purchased in 2012 as Wood’s Ranch and renamed after founder Rich Frank's youngest grandson. The historic building at the Frank Family Vineyards site on Larkmead Lane (opposite Larkmead Vineyards) was first constructed in 1884. It was the base of Kornell Champagne Cellars in the 1950s and was bought in 1992 by Rich Frank, the former President of Walt Disney Studios.