2024 Amuse Bouche Proprietary Red Napa Valley 6pk 6x750

This is what happens when one of Napa Valley's most celebrated winemakers turns her attention to Merlot. Heidi Barrett — the woman Robert Parker dubbed "the first lady of wine" — is the same winemaker behind Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle's Maya, and two perfect 100-point Parker scores. A single bottle of her wine once sold for $500,000 at auction. When she makes a Pomerol-inspired blend from Napa's east Rutherford hills, it carries that same uncompromising standard.

The 2023 vintage is considered one of the best in Napa Valley's history. A long, mild growing season with above-average winter rainfall allowed the grapes to ripen slowly through mid and late October, building rich tannins and layered flavors. For this wine, that translates to 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc with a rare combination of silky texture and structural integrity.

Jim Gordon at James Suckling awarded it 96 points: "Sleek, delicious, well-balanced and drinkable, yet nicely structured with good fruit acidity and moderate tannins. So linear, fresh and lively, yet silky in texture." Lisa Perrotti-Brown M.W. gave it 95 points, noting "juicy black plums, green coffee beans, and ripe black cherries, plus nuances of fragrant soil and bay leaves." Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni at Vinous both scored it 94 points, with Galloni calling it "elegant, restrained, and super expressive."

The Barrett family runs deep in Napa — Heidi's husband Bo is the winemaker at Chateau Montelena, the winery that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. This is California wine royalty. The 2023 Amuse Bouche delivers on that pedigree immediately, with a velvety palate, juicy black-fruit flavors, and a savory lift on the finish. It's built to drink now and to cellar — the kind of Merlot that makes the category relevant again.