Special Note: Today’s wine is highly allocated, which means that it is usually reserved for the winery’s wine club members. We have a special relationship with Coho, who allowed us special access to their cellar.

Today’s wine is available to you in any quantity that you like - but only until we sell out…

Today’s Coho Wines 2012 Coombsville Napa Valley Merlot is a very special wine, from one of our Operatives’ favorite Napa wineries. Merlot from this same Coombsville vineyard was blended to our 2016 Red Blend of the Year. Coho’s wines are always a smash hit, and today’s Merlot is expected to set records as well.

2012 has proven to be one of the best vintages on record from the Napa Valley. Today’s wine was made by Brooks Painter, who, in addition to being named the Winemaker of the Year, has held winemaking posts at some of the world’s most prestigious wineries, including the Robert Mondavi Winery, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, V. Sattui, Castello di Amorosa, Leeward Winery and Felton-Empire Vineyards.

Richly layered, with aromas of blackberry tobacco, chocolate covered cherry, black currant, supple leather, boysenberry preserve, braised plum, blueberry torte, spice box and black pepper.

Dark and rich, with concentrated flavors of blackberry, black cherry, Santa Rosa plum, hard leather, bittersweet chocolate, raspberry, dark mixed spice, mineral and dusty bramble.

This wine is very highly recommended.

~

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

92 points - James Suckling - ” A ripe and rich Merlot with blueberry and black olive character. Full body, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Very delicious indeed. Drink or hold.”

~

91 points - Wine Spectator - “Rich and well-structured, with floral currant and crushed stone aromas and supple, complex flavors of black cherry, dried herb and spice. Drink now through 2025.”

~

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate - “The 2012 Merlot Michael Black Vineyard from the increasingly fashionable Coombsville AVA is a 426-case cuvée revealing nice freshness, exuberant black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with spice and earth notes. The color is a dense ruby/purple, and the wine is vigorous and zesty. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.”