Notes from the Archivist

"Griffin"

This has to be the sleeper find so far.

A few months back, we came upon a Merlot sample that simply blew us away.

Both Bobby and I looked at each other after one sniff and sip with wide eyes and perked up expressions, thinking the same thing – “WHOA. Good lord this is something else”.

It makes sense given the source.

Like that secret swimming hole in the local river that nobody wants to share, this source has a group of diehard fans who scoop up their annual production all for themselves. 

There’s hardly any to go around as they make just 100-200 cases per year. And it’s entirely sold through their mailing list via allocation. You wouldn’t even know the label unless you’re entrenched in the depths of Wineberserkers or heard about it via word of mouth.

They use this same Merlot as the base of their Proprietary blend, which Jeb Dunnuck called “Downright sexy” when he blessed the 2021 with 95-97 points.

That seems to align with the typical scores they get year after year. And while we wait for our own critic’s review, I can only imagine it should hit similar marks.

We took a similar approach.

With the Merlot busting at the seams with pleasure-bent fruit and ample structure, it didn’t need much else to be thoroughly enjoyable on its own.

However, we had the foresight to keep a bit of our Rutherford Cab to sprinkle around like fairy dust. And adding some here made the magic happen.

We settled on a final blend of 77% Merlot, 19% Rutherford Cab, and 4% Cab Franc from an upcoming entry. The added structure, spice, and lift helped bring this opulent Merlot to a whole new level. 

I think this is shaping up to a parallel type of wine from our source, which “represent terrific values in high end Napa Valley reds.”

And mind you, that’s benchmarking against their $110 release price.

For $33-29 it’s an absurd bargain and you’ll regret not having more when it’s gone.

95 Points – Decanter

“This is one heck of a Merlot. Forget the caricatures of the grape—this is full-throttle, robust, powerful, and hedonistic, the kind of wine you want to keep for yourself and share only in measured pours. The blend leans on 77% Merlot, supported by 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged 20 months in 60% new French oak. It’s full-bodied, with satiny dark berry fruit, cocoa-powder tannins, and layers of fig, kirsch, and deep forest underbrush that lend an otherworldly freshness to its densely packed core. The tremendous length carries through with smoked paprika and a meaty savouriness, bringing a tasteful umami richness to this Oak Knoll thoroughbred.”