94 Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The red wine from Knights Valley, the 2013 Proprietary Red Mekerra, is a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot, and is my top wine along with the CJ. This is an estate wine from the Melkas’ 10-acre vineyard planted in Knights Valley. Beautiful, chocolaty floral notes with blackcurrants, graphite and earth are all present in this medium to full-bodied, stunningly pure and multilayered wine – 425 cases aged in 60% new French oak for 20 months and bottled unfiltered. This beauty should drink well for at least 20 years. Philippe Melka and his wife Cherie will be celebrating their 20th anniversary making wines as consultants in Napa Valley in 2016. Although they have a Who’s Who list of clients, they also produce three levels of wine under the Melka logo. Metisse is their vineyard-designated wines made in Napa, Mekerra from Sonoma’s Knights Valley, and the newest offering is the Syrah-based wines called Majestique, which to date emerges from Paso Robles