Get to Know Napa Valley Wine | Wine Folly

Anthem's Estate Vineyard Merlot is only produced in select vintages, as fruit has been left on the vine from entire vineyard blocks, forgoing harvest completely, because the grapes though serviceable, did not develop to Anthem's top quality standards. This extracting focus on quality helps produce exceptional, high quality, mountain Merlot that best represents the Anthem estate vineyard, the Mt. Veeder growing region, and the vintage in which it was produced.

On the palate, it tastes pure and complex, showing olive, dark chocolate, brisket, and loads of dusty black fruit, like ripe black cherries.

The palate is greeted with huge structure and presence. Youthful flavors of dark cherry, currants and dark fruits lead the way of this densely packed wine. Baking spices, cocoa and white pepper precede trademark fine-grain Mt. Veeder tannins and a long, sustained finish. When decanted and allowed to breathe, the abundance of layers of this wine become more accessible. There is huge aging potential with this vintage.