2015 David Arthur Vineyards Meritaggio Napa Valley 750 ml

The name Pritchard Hill evokes Napa icons like Brand, Bryant Family, Chappellet, Colgin, Continuum, Ovid, and the granddaddy of them all—David Arthur. As one of the pioneering wines of Pritchard Hill, David Arthur’s flagship Elevation 1147 label still stands tall with its cult classic neighbors, commanding similarly steep ($250+) bottle prices.

Wine Spectator originally referred to Pritchard Hill as “the Rodeo Drive of the Napa Valley,” after all. Thankfully, the quality measures up to the price tags. Located in the high slopes of the Vaca Mountains, off the beaten path and remote, Pritchard Hill’s signature iron-rich, volcanic, red soils produce intensely flavored grapes like nowhere else—we’re far from the only ones who consider it to be among Napa’s most elite sub-regions.

Which is why we think David Arthur’s 2015 Meritaggio bottling—a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc—is one of the best deals in all of Napa. Sourced from the same ultra-coveted terroir, it echoes the signature powerful mountain fruit character of the region’s best wines while mirroring their lithe, graceful structure. And at our cellar-direct price, we have the 2015 Meritaggio at significantly less than Pritchard Hill’s standard cost of entry.

Ever since their first vintage in 1985, David Arthur’s attention to detail has been paramount across all 1,000 acres of the Long family ranch, where grapes are only planted on 19 acres of these prized Pritchard Hill soils. Only one single acre grows Sangiovese, making this 2015 Meritaggio as rare and unique as it gets from that hallowed ground.

With dark candied cherry, black raspberry, and smoked plum aromas, a bright red berry note evokes the kind of sunshine that only reaches vines that thrive above Napa Valley’s fog line. That mountain character comes in after a few swirls, with resinous rosemary and thyme, spiced tobacco, sandalwood sap, and dried roses. The deep, unmistakable Cabernet character comes through on the midpalate, with cassis, crushed bay leaf, and Pritchard Hill’s classic, dusty, iron-rich minerality. Silky, refined, and integrated on the finish, this is showing wonderfully now, though it can cellar alongside the pricey Elevation 1147 for up to a decade.

In “the best grape-growing region in Napa Valley [without] an official appellation” according to Wine Enthusiast, David Arthur Long and his father, Don, were early to the party. They planted a vineyard in Pritchard Hill in 1978, paving the way for many of the legends who followed. Don would have never guessed how his humble investment might pay off. A butcher who owned a small grocery near Stanford University, he fell in love with Napa (well before Robert Mondavi became a household name) and moved his family to Pritchard Hill in the 1950s.

Meritaggio’s name pays homage to Sangiovese’s role in this wine. Wanting to fulfill his dad’s dream of producing a traditional Meritage blend, David set out to find clones of the five classic Bordeaux varieties. On his travels, he came across Sangiovese, which stole the spotlight from any Malbec he had ever tasted. Indeed, James Suckling has called David Arthur’s version the “best Sangiovese ever from Napa.”

Since Meritaggio’s first vintage in 1992, the winery has never looked back, in more ways than one. David Arthur has only employed three winemakers since its founding days, including Heidi Peterson Barrett (Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family), followed by Bob Egelhoff and now, Nile Zacherle.

In his Vinous article on the 2015 Napa vintage (called “Brilliance in Napa Valley”) Antonio Galloni wrote, “Winemaker Nile Zacherle [of David Arthur] crafts some of the most elegant, polished Cabernets readers will taste on Pritchard Hill…the wines are almost always outstanding.”

His 2015 Meritaggio more than lives up to that reputation. This a rare chance to experience true Pritchard Hill terroir from one of its founding producers.