Product Overview
Winemaker Notes:
"The Robert Keenan Winery is located in Spring Mountain District, high in the Mayacamas
mountain range above the town of Saint Helena. We planted eleven acres of Merlot vines in the rocky soils surrounding the winery and we believe this mountainside vineyard produces some of the finest Merlot in all of Napa Valley. Sited above the dense layer of fog that creeps up the Napa Valley most evenings, the vineyard warms earlier in the morning and temperatures remain warm throughout the night. The combination of these warm temperatures, steep hillside vine rows, and gravelly soils promotes stress on the vines, leading to increased intensity of flavors and aromas in the finished wine.
For the sixteenth consecutive year the rechristened "Mailbox" vineyard has been chosen as the source for the Reserve Merlot bottling. Hints of violets and a signature earthy spiciness show in the nose, a chocolaty creaminess combines with the rich dark full fruit on the palate, the finish is beautifully layered, deep, elegant and very, very long. Drink now or decades from now."
Varietal Composition: 100% Merlot
Appellation: Spring Mountain District AVA
Production: 350 cases
Winemaker: Michael Keenan
93 Points - Vinous
"The 2019 Merlot Reserve Mailbox Vineyard is a powerful, savory wine. Dried herbs, lavender, spice, menthol and tobacco hit the palate, followed by searing tannins that lend quite a bit of presence. If the fruit emerge, the 2019 might merit a more optimistic review, but now, the 2019 is very tight and youthfully austere. It will be interesting to see what time brings." -AG, Oct/2021
92+ Points - Wine Advocate
"More ambitious, and sourced from a single patch of vines, Keenan's 2019 Merlot Mailbox Vineyard delivers intense aromas of toasted oak, mocha and black cherries. Full-bodied, creamy and supple, it features a long, cherry-driven finish and a dusting of soft tannins." -JC, 9/15/22
