Two pirate-themed wines in a row? Just a coincidence, we assure you. Today’s Plank Walker 2012 Napa Meritage is this year’s Wine Spies Wine Intrigue Awards winner for Top Meritage of 2017, as selected by you, our Operatives. This wine was our most popular Meritage of 2017. It was also one of our favorites here at HQ.

We’ve got a 97 point Napa Valley Meritage for you today, made by Greg Lawson, whose family has been in the California wine trade for generations.

Today’s Plank Walker 2012 Napa Valley Meritage is a silky smooth, layered, and oh so delicious blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (86%), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Malbec.

Inhale this wine and experience a heady rush of boysenberry, blackberry, wild strawberry, sweet spice, chocolate, cedar shavings, subtle tobacco and a hint of anise.

The palate is every bit as delicious as the nose suggests, with flavors of Bing cherry, blackberry preserve, milk chocolate, mixed spice, subtle sweet tobacco leaf, and a subtle touch of savory herbs.

Winemaker Greg Lawson hails from a winemaking family that has been in the Napa Valley for nearly 40 years. Greg’s grandfather was the first president of Beringer Wineryand his family is still very much in the wine business. Greg’s brother Jeff works for a large wine distributor in Santa Barbara and his other brother Rob is a former CEO of Napa Wine Co, where today he is their winemaker as well as winemaker for a number of select Napa brands. Mark Beringer (formerly at Duckhorn) is one of Greg’s childhood friends.

Very highly recommended. Drink now or hold for the next several years.

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97 points - Just Wine Points.com - “Beautiful aromas of blackberry, black cherry, plum, licorice and raspberry, with complements of spice, chocolate, vanilla, toasted/smoky oak, and a dash of tobacco and black tea. On the palate this is a smooth, sexy wine delivering all of the aromas in a plush, well-balanced, flavorful body, leading to a finish steeped a bit heavy in oak, but there’s just enough fruit to pull it off. Wonderful!”