2020 Silenus - Merlot Napa Oak Knoll District (750ml)

Silenus Winery occupies a storied stretch of Napa's Oak Knoll District first planted in 1969 by Bruce Newlan, a former Lockheed engineer who fell in love with the valley during regular vacations from San Jose. Over the decades the vineyard supplied fruit to some of Napa's most celebrated names, including Inglenook, Robert Mondavi, and Silver Oak, before the property was reimagined under founder Bob Williamson as Silenus, named for the mythological companion of Dionysus. Today the winery operates as one of Napa's few shared production facilities, hosting more than a dozen boutique labels under one roof.

The 2020 Merlot centers on the Materra Vineyard, prized for the cool evening air drifting in from the nearby Napa River and San Pablo Bay, rounded out with Petit Verdot from neighboring Jaeger Vineyard and a small amount of estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The Oak Knoll District's mild climate and long, eight-month growing season allow for slow, complete ripening. The finished blend aged twenty-two months across new French and American oak along with neutral barrels, gently integrating tannins.

The wine pours a deep garnet, with aromas of cranberry, Bing cherry, and blueberry leading into flavors of red plum, black cherry, cocoa, and pink peppercorn. It pairs wonderfully with braised beef cheeks, grilled portobello mushrooms, or aged pecorino.