2023 Decoy - Merlot Sonoma (750ml)

Duckhorn Vineyards was founded in Napa Valley in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, and within a decade the couple launched Decoy as a way to bring the winery's Bordeaux-varietal expertise to a more attainable price point. The Decoy team now works with nearly two hundred individual vineyard lots across Sonoma, Mendocino, and San Luis Obispo counties, drawing on an extensive barrel program that spans two dozen different oak types from more than a dozen cooperages. That scale allows the winemaking team to blend by taste rather than formula, assembling each vintage from whichever lots best express the character they're after.

This Merlot is built around fruit sourced largely from Sonoma County, including grapes from the estate's Ridgeline Vineyard in Alexander Valley, with small additions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc rounding out the blend. The wine ages for a year in French oak, with a meaningful portion of new barrels contributing structure and spice without overwhelming the fruit. This approach reflects Duckhorn's decades of Merlot expertise, applied here at a more accessible Sonoma County level.

The wine shows a dark ruby color with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and cassis, joined by hints of vanilla and tobacco. On the palate it is ripe and smooth, balanced by vibrant acidity and polished tannins that carry through to a long finish. It's a natural match for grilled sirloin, roasted duck, or a wedge of aged gouda.