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Amuse Bouche

The Winery

Amuse Bouche

"In this partnership with John Schwartz, winemaker extraordinaire Heidi Barrett makes a powerplay to create a Pomerol-style Merlot with 4% Cab Franc in the Amuse Bouche 2009 Napa Valley Red. This is big league wine for big-league wine fans."
- The Tasting Panel, November 2011

Collectible wine and collectible art come together to create Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Merlot, a joint wine venture with Heidi Barrett and John Schwartz. This Pomerol-style Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend is made from some of the best grape sources in the Napa Valley. Amuse Bouche wine aspires to rival its greatest cross-Atlantic counterparts, such as Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin.

As winemaker for several of the hottest cult wines in California, and referred to by TIME magazine as "The Wine Diva of Napa", Heidi Barrett is always looking for new challenges. Heidi explains, "We have created Amuse Bouche wine, a limited edition, superb Pomerol style wine with the added value of limited edition art that is available to consumers through a variety of channels."

Merging art with our wines was something of a philosophical decision. The former can be enjoyed indefinitely, enduring for many lifetimes. Wine collectors may revel in the subtleties of a vertical collection; but in the end, 'fine wine is the only true art that must be destroyed in order to be fully appreciated.' We strive to offer you the pleasures of both art forms.

www.amusebouchewine.com

View all wines by Amuse Bouche

Tasting Notes

WA92
Primarily Merlot blended with a small amount of Cabernet Franc, Amuse Bouche’s Merlot is packaged in a heavy, artisanal bottle displaying the artwork of Guy Buffet on the label. It is a classic, high quality Merlot with an opaque ruby/purple color as well as notes of sweet cherries, Asian plum sauce, and hints of camphor and ink. The fragrant aromatics are followed by a medium to full-bodied wine revealing gorgeous fruit, purity, glycerin and texture. This 2002 appears to have hit full maturity and should drink well for another decade given its level of concentration and balance.
WS92
Ultraripe and showy, with juicy wild berry, blackberry and currant flavors that are complex and concentrated, with a tight focus and a long, lingering aftertaste. Not shy about the use of toasty oak; the wood folds in nicely. A touch of heat on the finish underscores the ripeness, and it has ample tannins. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

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