Swagger Merlot Napa Valley 2020

Every August, right before the harvest begins, we are joyously reminded to slow things down a bit, enjoy life's simple pleasures, and saunter! It starts with a special visit to the ACME shop by dear friends Josh and Heather Clark, toting a decanter full of their newest release of this lip-smacking Bordeaux Blend. Nothing is more welcome than the confident, boastful gait of the winemaking power couple behind Saunter Wines and SWAGGER Bordeaux Blend.

 Vineyard manager Josh and his winemaker wife Heather have proudly produced limited quantities of this most-treasured wine year after year, and the ACME team is thrilled to be able to offer it to you again. In years past, Thomas Rivers Brown has consulted on the project, but this is the second vintage made entirely by the impeccably talented UC Davis alumna Heather Clark. This wine is a joy to share with family and friends.

The 2020 is the first vintage in which Josh and Heather produced a 100% Merlot. The fruit was sourced from the Shifflett Vineyard, just south of Yountville on Darms Lane. Here, 52-acres are planted to Bordeaux varieties on what is considered the southernmost true alluvial fan of the Mayacamas Range. The wine was aged in 100% French oak, 80% of which was new – a combination of Taransaud and Sylvain. With only 100 cases produced on this wine, Swagger continues to be a highly sought after artisanal wine!