2017 Freemark Abbey Merlot Stagecoach Vineyard Atlas Peak Napa Valley is sold out.

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A classic producer meets a coveted Pritchard Hill site

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    2017 Freemark Abbey Merlot Stagecoach Vineyard Atlas Peak Napa Valley 750 ml

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    • Curated by unrivaled experts
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    • Temperature controlled shipping options
    • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

    A Titan of Napa, Firing on All Cylinders

    The only winery to have TWO wines in the 1976 Judgment of Paris, St. Helena’s Freemark Abbey, is still on top, making some of the best wines in their history. So when they got their hands on some pristine Merlot from Stagecoach Vineyard, a favorite site of legends like Caymus, Cardinale, and Plumpjack? Great wine was a foregone conclusion.

    2017 was winemaker emeritus Ted Edwards’ 37th harvest at Freemark Abbey, where he joined a rich tradition of quality established in the 1970s by legendary winemaker Jerry Luper. Ever since 1980, Ted has been the guardian of Freemark’s trademark finessed, balanced style, and it shows in this supple, detailed Napa Merlot. It’s a joy to drink.

    The story of Stagecoach is a piece of Napa Valley lore: In 1991, Dr. Jan Krupp prepared to purchase a sizable mountain property on the prized east side of Napa Valley, between Pritchard Hill and Atlas Peak. But before signing on the dotted line, Krupp engaged a world-renowned geologist to confirm the property’s viability.

    After three weeks of soil studies, the geologist submitted a report that advised against Krupp’s purchase. There was no sign of water. The cost of irrigating the mountain would be prohibitive. Undeterred, Krupp next called in a “water witch,” who arrived with just a mysterious copper apparatus. She trekked the mountain, and then claimed that a stream was flowing hundreds of feet below. An excavation crew would soon verify her findings. Krupp completed the purchase for Stagecoach Vineyard a few months later.

    Just hitting its stride at seven years old, this wine takes you back to the time in the 1990s when old-school Napa Merlot had an incredible run, and for good reason!