Hill Family Estate, a favorite among Napa Valley’s Yountville wineries, announces the release of their 2017 Barrel Blend.
This 2017 Barrel Blend’s distinctive and carefully crafted combination of flavors produced from nine different grape varieties was imagined and created by wine professional and avid surfer Kyle Knox and Hill Family Estate winemaker Alison Doran.
From January 14-18, Hill Family Estate offers this unique production of their 2017 Barrel Blend to be available for shipment at discounted prices for only four days.
Components of the 2017 Barrel Blend
The 2017 Barrel Blend is an artistically blended combination of nine grape varieties. Each one lends unique characteristics to yield a wine with an excellent robust finish combined with a soft and smooth palate. Hill Family Estate artisans achieved an exacting blend consisting of:
Merlot 44%
Zinfandel 17%
Syrah 16%
Petit Syrah 7%
Malbec 5%
Cabernet Sauvignon 4%
Pinot Noir 3%
Petit Verdot 2%
Dolcetto 2%
The grapes for this blend originated from Napa Valley vineyards, mostly situated at Valley floor elevations. Vineyards that produced the array of top quality grapes were Beau Terre, Dunlop, Johnson, Guck, Hansen, Villagio, Baker, Windy Flats, Flat Rock, Saltonstall, Clarke, Wendel, and Beau Terroir.
While the early months of the 2017 growing season offered reasonably normal conditions, the latter weeks were capped by an August hot spell that forced Yountville wineries to rush their end-of-season harvests. Although major fires engulfed parts of Northern California in October, the 2017 Barrel Blend grapes were harvested well before the fires broke out.
Winemaking Process
The fruit for the Hill Family Estate’s 2017 Barrel Blend was selected, crushed, and processed in August 2017. The initial blend of Malbec and Merlot was enhanced by the addition of Syrah and Petit Syrah for improved density and texture. Other qualities were enhanced with the addition of the fruity-flavored Zinfandel and a bit of “Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot for dignity and some Pinot Noir for grace.”
The new blend was aged for ten months in 20% new oak barrels (8% French, 4% American, 8% Hungarian) before bottling on August 15 and 16, 2018.
The 2017 Barrel Blend production of 4,025 cases is offered at a retail price of $32.
Alison Doran’s Tasting Notes
Hill Family Estate’s award-winning winemaker, Alison Doran, offers the following tasting notes for this blend:
“The 2017 Barrel Blend offers aromas of blueberry, red cherry, and some deeper black fruit as it opens up. The palate is soft and rich, with flavors of blueberry, black pepper, jammy blackberry, and black cherry. While the finish is robust, it has friendly tannins and plushy textured fruit.”
Don’t Miss This Opportunity!
As mentioned, Hill Family Estate, one of the best wineries in Yountville and all of Napa Valley, will be offering a special on this delightful 2017 blend from January 14 to 18, 2021.
You may purchase your 12-bottle case for only $26 per bottle, a discount of $72 per case, with an additional $1.00 shipping cost for orders of 12 bottles or more.
To learn more about Hill Family Estate’s special offer, visit this Yountville winery’s website at https://hillfamilyestate.com/.
