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Arbor Bench Meritage 2014 Dry Creek Valley

$44.00

Comparable Price

$14.99
Our Price
  • The 2014 Arbor Bench Vineyards Meritage provides a terroir-driven taste of Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley without breaking the bank.
  • The taste profile of this full-bodied and gripping red blend includes fragrant notes of black cherry, boysenberry, and vanilla that meld with savory hints of smoke and gravelly minerality.
  • It shines alongside a generous helping of shepherd's pie, grilled mushroom kabobs, or pan-seared steak in a balsamic glaze.

Member Rating: 91

Tech Notes Wine Details Wine Spectator Wine Enthusiast
Unit Size750.00 ML
VarietalRed Blend
Vintage2014
GrapeCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec
CountryUnited States
AppellationDry Creek Valley
RegionSonoma County
Alcohol Content14.50%
By Arbor Bench Vineyards
2014 Meritage Dry Creek Valley

Wine Details
Source: 100% estate grown
Vintage: 2014
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Varietals: 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 30% Malbec
Soils: Red benchland, gravelly loam

Winemaking Notes
Fermentation: 3 weeks in open-top tanks with daily punch downs
Aging: 22 months in 100% French oak (40% new)
Alcohol: 14.50%
Farmer: Duff Bevill
Winemaker: Chris Markell

About Arbor Bench Vineyards
In the heart of Dry Creek Valley, Arbor Bench has been owned by the Hart-Lidow family since 1984. It is comprised of almost 100 acres, with nearly 33 acres devoted to vines and the rest to native woodland. The land is planted to Merlot on the lower reaches and Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec on the upper benchland. Unlike the sandy loam of much of the valley floor, the distinctive red benchland soils are gravelly loam, prized for more than a century for producing grapes of exceptional complexity and flavor. The valley floor and western-facing benchland vineyards receive good sun exposure during the day, and the grapes greatly benefit from the evening's cooling fog off the Pacific Ocean less than twenty miles away. These factors further concentrate the wine's varietal character and acidic balance.
[Information provided by Matador Vino]
Arbor Bench Meritage Dry Creek Valley 2014
Score: 88
Price: $44
Wine Type and Color: Red Still
Reviewed By: James Laube
Drinkability: Drink now through 2030
Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Other Grapes: Merlot, Malbec
Issue: Web Only - 2018
Region: California / Sonoma / Dry Creek Valley
Highlights the positive traits of herbal Cabernet, delivered in a balanced, structured way, allowing the taut dark berry and cherry notes to succeed amid chewy, rustic tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. Best from 2020 through 2030.
Arbor Bench Vineyards 2014 Estate Meritage (Dry Creek Valley)
From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California, US
Rating: 88
Price: $44
Winery: Arbor Bench Vineyards
Region: Sonoma
Alcohol: 14.50%
Variety: Bordeaux-style Red Blend
Wine Type: Red
Bottle Size: 750.00 ml
Issue Date: 3/1/2018
This puts 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 30% Malbec to good work, offering a sizable sense of tannin and integrated oak. Leather, black pepper and pencil shavings provide contrast to the fruitier components of baked plum and dark cherry. 
Reviewed By: Virginie Boone