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2021 Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Red Blend

Amuse Bouche

2021 Amuse Bouche Napa Valley Red Blend

It is with great honor and excitement that we offer you the 2021 vintage of Amuse Bouche, featuring artwork by renowned French artist Marc Clauzade. His piece entitled "Casse Croute" (which roughly translates to "tasty snack") portrays the beautiful chaos of a kitchen scene — its vibrant colors an apt illustration of Julia Child’s famous quote. You may remember that Marc's portrayal of the lady in the red dress, "Le Bar a Vin," adorned our label more than a decade ago.

The 2021 harvest was excellent, but our overall production was down 35% (smaller berries but loaded with flavor) due to the persistent drought conditions of this growing season. Amuse Bouche 2021, crafted in the Pomerol-style, is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc from our vineyards in the east Rutherford Hills of Napa Valley.

To reserve your allocation of Amuse Bouche 2021, please complete the order form below, email Eileen@AmuseBoucheWine.com, or phone-in at 707-251-9300. Your wine will ship fall 2023.

Each allocation of Amuse Bouche 2021 will come with a hand signed and numbered, limited-edition lithograph, which we produce in France on Rives paper (36" x 30").

We produced a limited number of 1.5-liter magnums, numbered and signed by Heidi available on a first-in basis. Absent from the order form are our 5.0-liter hand-etched, painted and signed Jeroboams. We produce 10 of these each vintage. If interested, please contact Eileen directly at Eileen@AmuseBoucheWine.com

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The Artist: Marc Clauzade

Born in 1957 and raised in a family of art and fashion (both grandmothers were designers for France's top fashion houses in the 1930s), Clauzade embarked on an education in engineering before acknowledging his passion for art and enrolling at the Beaux-Arts school in Toulouse. Shortly after completing his training, he was awarded the coveted Grand Prix Oil from the FIAP Paris Salon. His art is now exhibited worldwide, including stateside at institutions such as the Galerie d'Art Français in New Orleans and the Galerie Rue Toulouse in Carmel. Clauzade uses flowing brushstrokes and contrasting lines to create flirty, colorful personalities in retro-chic milieus. The French Art Network hails Clauzade as "the first artist to reinterpret Lautrec and Dégas in over 100 years."

95
Points
James Suckling
2021 Vintage
"Pretty nose with cherries, cassis, baking spices and some chocolate on the nose. It's medium- to full-bodied with plush tannins. Well-balanced with an intense core of juicy cherries, herbs and spices intermingling. Focused finish with excellent length."
- James Suckling, November 2023
95
Points
The Wine Independent
2021 Vintage
"The 2021 Merlot is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens a little oaky and broody. With patient swirling, notes of plum preserves, creme de cassis, and sandalwood emerge, followed by hints of crushed rocks and garrigue. The full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit and cedary flavor layers with a firm, grainy texture and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory."
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent, January 2025
94
Points
Wine Advocate
2021 Vintage
"Black cherries, mocha and clay-like earth scents mark the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, silky in feel, with ample concentration married to easy drinkability. The tannins assert themselves on the dusty finish, accentuated by mouthwatering acids, giving the impression that this wine is capable of reasonable longevity. It's a fine example of Napa Valley Merlot, made in a more structured style."
- Wine Advocate, July 2024
94
Points
Antonio Galloni
2021 Vintage
"The 2021 Amuse Bouche is pliant, racy and super-expressive. Succulent red cherry, red plum, spice, blood orange and tobacco are all dialed up. This Merlot-based blend is a total charmer. Dollops of Cabernet Franc extend the finish."
- Antonio Galloni, December 2023