Rombauer Napa Valley Merlot 2022

In the tradition of many great Bordeaux estates, Opus One produces a fine second wine called Overture. Like the introduction of a great musical piece, Overture, the wine, presents elements of the exceptional work itself, although certainly not in its entirety or full complexity. Since 1993, we have created Overture as a result of our highly selective process for Opus One. We meticulously cultivate each section of our estate vineyard with the attention to detail and singular focus required to produce Opus One. This diligence carries through the extensive blending process, and not all wine-lots from our estate are chosen for the final Opus One blend. Yet, when these remaining lots are afforded additional time in French oak barrels, coupled with the added flexibility of blending across multiple vintages, the final wine, Overture, achieves remarkable elegance, complexity and approachability. As a natural extension of the creation of Opus One, Overture’s varietal composition evolves based on the lot selections made for each vintage. Overture reflects the proportion of Bordeaux-heritage grape varieties planted on our estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Uniquely, Overture captures the essence of our estate across vintages; therefore the exact blend and cellar approach will always differ from Opus One.

Hand-harvested grapes, hand-sorted on a vibrating table. 100% de-stemmed, placed into stainless steel fermentation vats by gravity flow. Weeks-long maceration, minimal pumping-over and punching-down. Pressing in pneumatic press. Placed in French oak barrels for aging on fine lees. Light filtration A pure expression of a lightly oaked Pinor Noir, our Micault 2018 displays a deep ruby color. This cuvée features aromas of red fruit, fresh rose and peony, with a hint of blood orange. On the palate, the tannins are supple and savory. We also find a full-bodied side which leaves a juicy impression in the mouth. Enjoyable today, this Pommard will evolve gracefully over the next 10 years. Production: 5,000 bottles Serving Temperature: 16°C

The vinification is traditional, with 18 to 21 days of fermentations and regular pumpings over. The ageing is in french oak barrels for 12 months with 20% of new barrels. Le Haut-Médoc de Beychevelle's 12 hectares of vines are 5 km from Beychevelle's vineyard; being further from the Gironde estuary, they benefit from a cooler climate. The vineyard is in the Haut-Médoc appellation and has been managed organically since 2008. This blend consists of just two grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Vinified and aged in a separate winery, it is produced with the same level of care as Château Beychevelle and Amiral de Beychevelle Rich nose and delicate palate with an aromatic richness of ripe red fruits. A hint of liquorice and chocolate. Drinking young.