Keenan Winery's 2012 Vintage: Great Holiday Wines!

Michael Keenan winery sits atop Spring Mountain, a stunning peak amidst Napa Valley.  The journey there involves winding roads that slowly ascend through full, low-hanging trees against a backdrop of blue sky.  When you finally arrive, you are ushered into an open, airy tasting room that overlooks acres of vibrant green vineyards.  And the wine is just as beautiful as the scenery.

Michael Keenan winery, located on Spring Mountain

Winemaker Michael Keenan takes a conservative approach when creating his wines.  He relies on natural processes to bring out the true character of each varietal.  At the same time, he is willing to embrace change when appropriate.  He adapts his blends, harvest times, and techniques to play to the strengths of each growth.  He has also made adjustments to the winery itself, such as using solar power to provide energy and expanding the tasting room.  Keenan Winery is a nonchalant fusion between old and new world.

This past month, I had the chance to preview some of the wines from the upcoming vintage.  I sampled the 2012 Napa Valley Merlot, the 2012 “Mailbox Vineyard” Merlot Reserve, the 2012 Napa Valley Zinfandel, and the 2012 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Franc.  As I tasted each wine, I knew that these four reds were quintessential holiday wines.  Lush, full, and flavorful, they will be perfect as the temperatures start to dip.  They will also perfectly complement foods of the season.

 

First, I poured a glass of the 2012 Napa Valley Merlot.  Merlot fell out of favor a few years ago when the movie Sideways lambasted it, but it has been slowly staging a comeback.  If a bottle of Merlot were to prove once and for all the grape was worthy of our admiration, this would be it.  Up front fruit flavors like black cherry and raspberry made it accessible.  However, as the wine opened, deeper notes of cocoa and earth emerged.  I loved how a “big” wine could still be easy-drinking.

I would recommend the Merlot for any occasion.  Of the four, I would consider it the crowd-pleaser.  It consists of 100% Merlot and approximately 2,770 cases are produced.  It can be purchased for about $39.

The "Mailbox Vineyard" on the Keenan Estate provides grapes for their Reserve Merlot

 

The “Mailbox Vineyard” Merlot Reserve is the Napa Valley Merlot’s more sophisticated, brooding counterpart.  All of the grapes herald from the Keenan estate itself.  Specifically, they come from 11 acres of rocky soil situated along the mountainside.  This is the 9^th year of the “Mailbox Vineyard” Merlot Reserve.  This year, only 400 cases were made.

The 2012 vintage drank beautifully.  Compared to the flagship Merlot, this bottle was more nuanced.  To me, it had darker, black fruits and earthier characteristics.  The intense flavors were cloaked in a full, velvety body where I could almost feel the sediment.

The “Mailbox Merlot” is the perfect gift for the wine enthusiast.  A collector will appreciate its complexities.  The bottle is also incredibly age-worthy.  It retails for about $70.

The 2012 Cabernet Franc is another limited, 100% estate wine.  2012 in particular made for an exceptional release.  Keenan called the year “nearly flawless” and playfully deemed the resulting wine “freakishly good!”  They created just 480 cases.

The Keenan wine cellar

 

Like the “Mailbox Merlot,” the Cabernet Franc is incredibly complex, full, and rich.  It’s slightly more esoteric though, as Cabernet Franc remains a less popularized varietal.  The Keenan Cabernet Franc has flavors of red and black fruit, with underlying notes of spice and bell pepper.  It is robust in texture, but elegantly balanced.
The Keenan Cabernet Franc is the perfect accompaniment for a more intimate holiday gathering.  It is seems destined for succulent red meats like prime rib, lamb, and steak.  Wine mavens will appreciate its quality and idiosyncrasies, while guests can enjoy the superb pairings.  It sells for about $68.

The final wine, the Zinfandel, drank the lightest of the four.  I was impressed by how delicate and balanced the wine was.  Zinfandel can be a plush, sweet wine bursting with cherry.  The 2012 Napa Valley Zinfandel was soft and refined.  I had no trouble drinking it with and without food.  Therefore, I would recommend it for a holiday cocktail party, where food might be smaller passed hors d’oeuvres.

Happy holidays and cheers to the 2012 vintage of Keenan Winery wines!