Amuse Bouche Vertical Tasting Set 2005/2006 (2 bottles)

Product Information

This is a bottle of the 2005 vintage and a bottle of the 2006 vintage. Total-two, 750 ml bottles.

The 2005 harvest was distinguished by the long hang time on the vines. The wine has completed fermentation and is ageing gracefully in French oak. According to Heidi Barrett, the 2005 harvest delivered some of the most 'lush fruit' she has ever worked with. We anticipate another wine of power and elegance.

The ’05 art is the work of talented American artist Wayne Thiebaud. Over the course of his 50-year career, Thiebaud has become one of the leading figures in the field of modern American art. He is best known for his still life paintings of everyday objects – particularly his thickly painted cakes and pies. His iconic images of food may have stemmed from his beginnings as a freelance cartoonist in 1939. Reflecting his fondness for fine foods, Mr. Thiebaud has created his own amuse-bouches to adorn our ’05 vintage. His sensuous texture and warm, luminous palette remind us to seek out layers of texture and taste, to explore beyond the obvious and to revel in the complexity of fine food, wine and art.

Accolades for the 2005 Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Merlot

Napa v Bordeaux
"Better than Bordeaux? Spurrier's Standouts"
* * * * * (5 Star Rating)
"Made by cult winemaker Heidi Barret from 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, silky smooth, a really classy wine. 2008-16"
- Decanter, Steve Spurrier, September 2007

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.

Our 2006 harvest is complete. It was a year that kept us busy due to dramatic growing conditions. We started the year with heavy flooding and then a lot of rain in the Spring which lead to a delay in bud break by a few weeks. June brought beautiful conditions and the vines began to bloom and set fruit. By mid-July we had record-setting heat that may have in fact aided the vintage to ‘catch up'. Fall brought us a cool, long growing season. The extended hang time helped in the development of very complex, concentrated flavors. Heidi is very pleased with the vintage and anticipates another complex yet elegant vintage.

We are thrilled to announce that the '06 vintage label will be created by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue, best known for his famous loup-garou or “Blue Dog.”

Accolades for the 2006 Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Merlot

Merlot Masterpieces
Each vintage of Amuse Bouche is, quite literally, a work of art
"...the 2006 vintage is not lacking in (flavor): Silky, elegant, and smoky, this California take on Pomerol is...cooler than, say, the bright, berry-filled 2005 vintage, showing more dark plum and earthy spice. Yet the wine's structure and style are pure Barrett, which is to say they are pure artistry."
Brett Anderson, Robb Report, October 2007

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.

Price: $684.95

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