A Napa Valley Classic

NEW YORK—Your mom told you not to judge a book by its cover, but the old-fashioned mallard drawing that appears on Duckhorn Vineyards’ bottles tells you a lot about the contents. The preppy, all-American emblem reflects the desire of Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, who founded the winery in 1976, to make something classic and unaffected by trends.

Along with a few other pioneers, the Duckhorns knew early on that Napa was suited to varietals of Bordeaux—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc in particular. And when most Californians were using Merlot only in blends, as is done in most of Bordeaux, they thought it would also be great on its own, anticipating the Merlot trend of the ’90s. When bad Merlots eventually surfaced everywhere, the Duckhorns continued to make good ones.

This fall is the 30th anniversary of the Duckhorns’ first harvest, and their current releases show that they are still delivering on their longstanding promises—these wines aren’t cheap by any stretch, but they do deliver value for the price. Start with the Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2006 ($25). It’s blended with Semillon (just like white Bordeaux), and it has a vibrant, lime-y profile with notes of white fruit and a suggestion of mint on the finish. It gets aged in French oak, like most of the Duckhorn wines, but just enough to frame the natural flavors.

Close in price is the extremely charming Decoy Red Wine Napa Valley 2005 ($28). (Decoy is a separate label made by the Duckhorns, also with a fowl-themed label.) This is the ultimate house wine if you want to keep something serious yet crowd-pleasing around—it’s fruity, juicy, and mellow, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc that is most Merlot-like in character (the tastes range from plum and chocolate to cherry). It’s got a medium-length finish that you’ll remember.

If it’s splurge time at your house, try one of the couple’s magnificent single-vineyard wines, Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley Three Palms Vineyard 2004 ($85). First of all, it’s not over-oaked, a problem ambitious reds sometimes have, and the blackberry and dried cherry have a lightly spicy edge that’s really appealing. This intense wine has some real power, so make sure to decant it for an hour before you serve it. The taste lingers admirably, which is very much in keeping with the Duckhorns’ ambition to make wines that last, in all senses of the phrase.

Ted Loos, Executive Editor of Art & Auction magazine, is the former features editor of Wine Spectator and has written on wine for Bon Appétit, Town & Country, and many other publications. He's the author of Town & Country Wine Companion: A Tasting Guide and Journal (Hearst Books; $12.95), to be published this fall.