Sill Family Vineyards 2017 MERLOT, Atlas Peak
Sill Family Vineyards is a family-owned and operated exquisite boutique winery with estate vineyards producing ultra-premium, very limited production carefully hand-crafted wines. As a Court of Master Sommelier, Winemaker, Igor Sill became passionate about Bordeaux wines after being introduced to Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion and Château Lafite Rothschild in the late 1970s by H. Lyman Emerson, a renaissance gentleman and noted fine wine collector.
Sill owns and operates two distinctive vineyards, Atlas Peak Mountain vineyard located on a plateau 1,650 feet above sea level, and St. Helena terraced vineyard. Unfortunately, the Atlas Peak fires of Oct 2017 destroyed their Winery and it’s not yet back open to the public. Good news however, you may purchase wines direct from their website, and as we all navigate through Covid-19. It’s best to join their Wine Club and receive and Sip Fine Wines while you are “Sheltering-in-Place,” the shipping costs are free to members and only a buck if you want a few bottles to try! As member, and you can get a private tasting by appointment, when the world gets back to normal and you find yourself in Napa!
In prior posts, I tried 4 of their fabulous wines and now I fortunate to try their 2017 très Merlot. Previously Sill has not produced a Merlot but found the 2017 vintage so compelling they were swayed in producing 300 bottles of this gem.
Tasting the 2017 très MERLOT, Atlas Peak
Sill’s 2017 Atlas Peak très Merlot is a hand-crafted wine that beautifully grabs the terroir, as grapes are harvested from their high elevation Atlas Peak Mountain vineyards. When learning about wine, Terroir, a French term, is the combined natural aspects of a vineyard; climate, soil, sunlight and water. One of the factors having a tremendous effect on Sill’s ability to craft their outstanding 2017 Atlas Peak très Merlot is “soil”. Atlas Peak has unique soil containing volcanic basalt, comprised of limestone and clay, rich in iron, not found elsewhere in Napa. The vineyard has 30-year old Merlot vines growing in soil over 2.5 million years old, Wow, how the linking of this unique terroir brings out the finest expression of a truly superb Merlot!
Dark Ruby with aromas of rich berry fruit with earthy herb spice tones. On the palate favors of blackberry, cherry and hints of strawberry currants, notes of cedar and minty herbs, great mouthfeel, well balanced with acidity, spice on firm tannins, a powerhouse! Long finish, rich and tangy ending with a fruit and herb spice character. Great to drink now, I recommend 45-minute decant, but you can also cellar for a while if you have the discipline! Wow! A must try, but don’t wait, just released, very limited!!
Cheers!