2018 Robert Foley ‘Claret’ Meritage Napa Valley

JD98 Just about pure perfection, the 2018 Claret checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, brought up in just 30% new barrels. This incredible wine offers lifted perfumed aromatics of pure cassis, violets, spicy wood, and ripe tobacco that carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, yet elegant 2018 that shows the structure and precision that’s the hallmark of the 2018 vintage. It’s beautiful today given the quality of the tannins and the purity of the fruit but will be even better in 3-4 years and have 25-30 years of overall longevity.
Estate Notes: Our flagship wine is made of the best we have – a classic Left Bank Bordeaux-style blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Ripe black cherry and black currant aromas open the show and within a few moments a peak of wild violets comes into play. The Claret floods the palate with round rich flavors and textures, a voluptuous middle, which resolves in soft velvety tannins. The flavors linger on and on in the endless finish. Aged in 35% new French oak barrels, Tronçais forest, for 22 months. Bottle aged since August 2020.