James and Emma Swain of St. Supery taste the St. Supery Elu 2018 and RU3 2018 in this Zoom interview.
When asked about the difference between the two wines, Emma explains that Elu is "the best wine we make from the vintage from both properties, so it's a combination of Dollarhide: it's got malbec in it and it usually has all five Bordeaux varietals. The RU3 is usually the best that we can make from the [St. Supery] vineyard."
After tasting both 2018s, James says: "The 2018s really have this purity of fruit and they're sort of weightless in a way. There's lots of flavor but it's not heavy. I think that's a real sign of '18." Emma agrees, adding:"I think the '17 is like that, too, but I feel like the length of the finish that you get on the '18s is just a little bit plumper and a little bit longer and more seamless." Watch now to hear Emma's thoughts on why Napa's merlots haven't taken off yet, on the lightning strikes at the vineyard, and to find out more about the vineyard's projected releases of cabernets.
Here are the tasting notes:
St. Supéry Napa Valley Élu 2018
St. Supéry Napa Valley Rutherford RU3 Estate Vineyard 2018
St. Supéry Merlot Napa Valley Rutherford 2017
St. Supéry Merlot Napa Valley Rutherford 2018
St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Dollarhide Estate Elevation 2017
St. Supéry Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Dollarhide Estate Elevation 2018
